Where Your Loyalties Lie
by mayzie
Summary: Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange had a daughter just before being sent to Azkaban. Now Cassiopeia is attending Hogwarts with the people whose lives were most affected by her parents' actions. With the impending return of the Dark Lord whose side will she choose? Set in OOTP.
1. Leaving

**So I'm doing this Star Wars Style.**

**Sorry but in the past two weeks I've been doing a lot of thinking, I have also been reading Order of the Phoenix at a glacial pace to come to the conclusion of rewriting my story of Cassiopeia from the beginning of her fourth year at Hogwarts.**

**So here's the story from the beginning, eventually I'll catch up with what I had (maybe fix it so it makes more sense with the book).**

**Here it goes, hope you enjoy.**

**Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange had a daughter before they were sent to Azkaban, now she's in school with all the people whose lives were affected by her parents' actions. *I DO NOT own anything Harry Potter related AT ALL*

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Blink. Breathe in. Stare at wall. Breathe Out. Stare at wall. Blink. Breathe in. Stare at wall. Breathe out.

Breathing methodically like this for extended amounts of time makes one light headed, almost giddy, enough to enjoy an hour-long period of speechless staring at the wall. Thus sustained my mealtimes with Grandmamma for the past few years. Plus, the routine gave me something to concentrate on, though the time never went by any quicker.

"Grandmamma," uh oh, I had been thinking between my blinking, staring, and breathing, a dangerous thing in the house of Lestrange. I did not turn my head, I just continued staring at the dark and ornate wallpaper opposite me. Grandmamma sat at the head of the table, with about six chairs between us, which made not talking much easier. When my presence was acknowledged I continued carefully, I was treading deep and dark water.

"What if, I had not been sorted into Slytherin? What would you have done?" I had Grandmamma's full attention; I prayed she thought this question to be entirely hypothetical.

"That's an idiotic question, Cassiopeia, seeing as you _are _in Slytherin." Ha! If only she knew. And here is where I should have held my tongue, slipped back into my own mind, my breathing, my staring, and my blinking.

"But what if I wasn't?" I burst out. Grandmamma pressed her bony, knobby, wrinkled little fingers together in a way that reminded me bitter sweetly of Headmaster Dumbledore, a comparison I would never make aloud in her house.

"Well surely I would disown you. All those other houses are crawling with filthy scum of mudbloods and blood traitors. Also, the Dark Lord may need loyalty but he has no use for Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, or the like," she proceeded to spit on the floor, which was hastily cleaned by our house elf. My stomach tossed, then Grandmamma laughed as if I had told the funniest joke. Then the laughs turned into wheezes and she chose to end dinner early, even though the food had already left the table at least a half an hour before.

The darkness of the manor was getting to me like it did most days so I immediately ran up two floors and sat out on the wrought iron balcony off of my bedroom. I admired the clear sky, it was just that time of twilight when the whole sky makes a rainbow with reds and oranges and yellows from the sun fading into the blues and purples of the star filled night. It was times like these when cool night breezes rolled through my open door across my room and out the window on the opposite side that reminded me of lighter times spent with my friends on the school grounds. The last thing I felt was like I was trapped in a dark house full of dark magic just itching to get away.

The next day I buttoned the last button on my flannel shirt and looked in the mirror. _Pretty convincing._ I fluffed my bangs, slung my bag over my shoulder, then tossed a final pair of socks into my trunk.

"Orion?"my call was answered by a muffled hoot as my barred owl glided in through the open door off my balcony. He had a limp mouse in his beak. I crinkled my nose, my next pet would not be a predator. I grabbed some owl treats and offered them on an outstretched hand.

"Trade?" Orion hopped off his perch and waddled the short distance to the edge of my desk. His big orb-like eyes flitted up to mine for a second, black to gray, then back down to the owl treats in my hand. He promptly spit the mouse into my hand (I bit my lip to keep from vomiting) and took the treats. I immediately chucked the dead mouse out the door through which Orion had just entered. I watched the mouse clear the railing of my balcony and thanked Merlin I wouldn't have to pick up the mouse and try again.

I put some more treats in Orion's freshly cleaned cage and patted him on the head when he took the cue to get in.

"Young Mistress Lestrange," a feeble voice came from the doorway.

"I told you, please call me Cassie, or Mistress Cassie, if you must," I told our house elf, Pereguin, for what felt like the millionth time.

"Mistress Cassie," Pereguin said uneasily. "Pereguin would like to remind Young Mistress that she asked Pereguin to come collect her trunk."

"Yes, of course," I crossed the room and shut and locked my trunk. "Would you be able to help me carry this downstairs?" I knew the trunk was heavy and looking from my skinny arms to Pereguin's frail, wrinkled body it was obvious we would need more help. But before I could grab a handle at the one end of the trunk Pereguin snapped his long green fingers, and the trunk was levitating towards the door.

"Oh. Right then," I said as I readjusted the bag on my shoulder. I stuffed my wand into the back pocket of my jeans, grabbed Orion's cage and headed down the stairs after Pereguin and my floating trunk.

"Cassiopeia, why are you dressed like a filthy muggle?" I turned toward the sitting room where my grandmother was slowly rising from an armchair.

"Grandmamma, it's September first, I have to go to school," I sighed. She looked me up and down, pursed her lips and said, "Hmph," which was better than a speech about how the school went downhill since Dumbledore became headmaster. She walked off to the drawing room, I quickly followed.

"Er… Grandmamma, are you going to take me to Kings Cross?"

"Goodness no," she laughed in response. "You can floo there, can't you?" Grandmamma said without the least bit of concern.

"Oh, yeah, I- I guess that would be…fine," I said while playing with the hem of my shirt. I had never gone to Platform 9 ¾ alone, even if Grandmamma was not one for warm goodbyes.

"Pereguin will send your things. You should probably go now," she added looking at the clock on the drawing room's mantle.

"Right, erm… bye then," I said awkwardly as I watched Pereguin disappear my luggage and Orion. My grandmother nodded curtly then left the drawing room.

"Goodbye Young Mistress," said Pereguin before bowing out of the room. I was left alone to go to Kings Cross where families would be by the dozens, hugging and kissing their lucky children before they boarded the Hogwarts Express. I sighed and took a fistful of floo powder from the bowl on the mantle.

"Platform 9 and ¾," I said clearly before spinning off into oblivion.

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**If you read this please please review, even if you just write "good" or "bad"**

**This is only my second fanfic and I really want to know what you liked or didn't, I'm up for any sugesstions.**

**I already have a few more parts written its just the in between part I need to work on.**

**Thanks a ton!**

**mayzie**


	2. Back to Hogwarts

**Okay so I can't upload any new documents at all (or copy and paste into documents I already have uploaded), I'm going nuts because I finally finished typing up the chapters I wrote and reconstructed on vacation. I don't really know what to do until it suddenly starts working again ):**

**I still don't own anything Harry Potter related.**

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I practically went deaf the moment I emerged (slightly dizzy) from the fireplace on Platform 9 ¾. The crimson train was chugging out steam that temporarily hid all the noisy families, the screeching owls, and the mewing cats. I quickly searched the crowd for my favorite redheads, all I found was my aunt, Narcissa, fretting over my cousin, Draco Malfoy. Then very tactfully Draco said, "Oh look, there's Cassie!" Now all of Aunt Cissy's attention left her only son and was centered on me.

"Cassiopeia!" Aunt Cissy gushed, pulling me in to kiss both of my cheeks. She put her hands on my shoulders and held me at arms length as if getting ready to survey me.

"Where's Pandora?" she asked looking around.

"Grandmamma didn't come, I'm alone," I said sounding more crestfallen than I actually felt. My aunt made a sympathetic noise and smoothed my hair. That was when enough steam cleared for me to spot my trunk with a very lost looking Orion on top.

"I'm going to get on the train," I said squirming out of my aunt's grasp, "see you at Christmas!"

I was one of the first people on the train, which meant I could get any compartment I wanted. I chose one towards the middle of the train and shoved my trunk, with great difficulty, into the luggage rack. Soon, other fourth years joined me, but none of them were my best friend, Ginny Weasley.

"I'm so sick of this," Colin Creevey said, defeated. I looked to see him wielding the _Daily Prophet_. I grabbed it ravenously; I hadn't seen a _Daily Prophet_ all summer. I scanned some articles then chose a few to read through, my face falling more and more with each line read.

"What is this rubbish? Why isn't there anything about You-Know-Who?" I asked disgustedly handing Colin his newspaper back.

"The Ministry refuses to believe he's back, Harry and Dumbledore have become the laughing stock of the Wizarding world," sighed Colin.

"Well serves them right." I looked up to see who had spoken. Terry Boot was standing by the door, he had returned from his trip around the train. He met mine and Colin's odd looks, "Oh come on, Potter's always looking for a new way to show off, and Dumbledore's like- what? 200?"

"So you believe the _Daily Prophet_? You reckon Harry's just some attention-seeking prat and Dumbledore's losing his marbles?" I stood and stared Terry down. He shrugged and grabbed one of _my_ pumpkin pasties and sat in _my_ seat. I glowered at him but he wasn't getting the hint. Michael Corner and Anthony Goldstein abandoned their game of exploding snap to watch what was going on.

"Oh and I saw Ginny when I went walking around. Guess who she was sitting with," Terry grinned, before we could respond he answered himself, "Loony Lovegood!" Terry crossed his eyes and twirled his finger around his temple in the universal sign for crazy. At this I crossed my arms. Colin looked at me nervously while everyone else roared with laughter. The previous year Ginny and I had gotten to know Luna, and different as she was she was really nice with the uncanny ability to always speak the truth.

"She may be a bit _odd _but she's not crazy!" Then I left and slammed the compartment door in a huffy fit.

After peeking into compartment after compartment I finally found Ginny at the end of the train. She was with Luna, just like Terry said, but they weren't alone. Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, and Ginny's older brother, Ron, were there too. Now I knew why Michael wasn't sitting with Ginny, Ron still didn't know they were dating. I peered sheepishly into the compartment, "Room for one more?" Everyone looked at me, Ron, with his mouth full of something said, "swuh." Ginny translated, "sure," then scooted over and patted the space next to her. I saw two huge eyes look at me over an upside down issue of _The Quibbler_.

"Oh hello Cassiopeia," Luna said dreamily.

"Hello Luna. Did everyone have a nice holiday?" I asked looking around the compartment. Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione all nodded and said similar things like "lovely time." Neville then started babbling about a reoccurring dream of giant scissors wearing his grandmother's hat and a strange little plant he got for his birthday.

"What about you, Cass?" Ginny asked politely. I flashed her a 'did you really just ask me that?' look. Ginny laughed and made a move to change the subject.

"What?" Hermione inquired.

"Cassie's grandmother is a pureblood-"

"Psycho fanatic," I finished for Ginny.

"Did you know Draco Malfoy is Cassie's cousin?" Ginny added. I cringed, I always tried to avoid conversations involving my family, and the less people knew the better.

"Well aren't most purebloods related somehow?" Harry said almost hopefully, something told me he had little interests in any relative of Draco.

"Oh, yeah, except Draco's parents and my grandmother are very close, so unfortunately I see him very often."

"Wait so are you related to Sirius Black?" Harry pressed on.

"Erm- no, no I don't think I'm related to any Blacks, nope," I rambled uncomfortably.

"But Mrs. Malfoy, she's a Black," Harry persisted.

"I don't know," I snapped. I changed my tone and rose from my seat, "We're probably going to be at school soon and all my stuff is back in my other compartment, so…" I headed out the door without really finishing my excuse.

"I sense the subject was uncomfortable for her," I heard Luna say serenely as I walked back to my compartment.

____________________________________________________________

Neville caught up with me as I stepped off the train at Hogsmeade station.

"You live with your grandmother?" he asked.

"Er, yeah," I responded looking up at him, boy had he changed over the summer. He still had a round face and ears that stuck out a little, but he was much taller and kind of gangly.

"Me too," he continued, "so are your parents, erm-"

"Dead?"

"Yeah," Neville hung his head.

"Something like that," I responded, they were dead to me at least.

"Oh, mine too."

"I'm sorry," I said not looking at him.

"Why? It's not your fault."

"Well, no, _I'm sorry_, my friends are calling me. I'll see you later." I gave him an encouraging smile then walked off to a horse-less carriage with Colin and Terry (who I still had half a mind to slap).

"Oh." Neville watched me go.

I wasn't watching where I was going as I adjusted my gold and red tie, which was when I walked into something. I mumbled an automatic apology and kept walking.

"Watch it! I'm a prefect!" A jerky voice yelled. I turned around.

"Draco, dear, get over yourself."

"Cassiopeia, I think that deserves a detention," my cousin said, smile widening as that oaf Pansy Parkinson giggled obnoxiously at his side. I shot her a dirty look then turned back to Draco.

"What will Mummy say when you give her favorite niece detention," I said cocking an eyebrow. Draco pursed his lips and stalked off, Pansy in tow.

"Oh and when you write your daily letter to your mum, send my love!" I called to Draco. His response was a rude hand gesture.

I laughed as I joined Colin and the Ravenclaw boys that were in our train compartment in one of the carriages that would take us to school. I still searched the hundreds of students for Ginny with no luck. Ginny finally joined us when I called her over at dinner.

"Ooooooo spent the whole time with Harry, eh? Must've been _some_ summer," I laughed as Ginny gave me a playful shove, "And she doesn't deny it!"

"Shhh, Merlin Cassie, I don't like him _like that_ anymore. I'm dating Michael."

"Ah but did you spend the whole summer with Michael?" She gave me a funny look as dinner came to a close. Dumbledore started his beginning of term speech, no forbidden forest, blah blah blah, the usual, but mid-speech he was interrupted by the new (toad-like) Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. This lady did not understand how this place works, you _do not_ interrupt Dumbledore.

"What's that woman's name, again?" Ginny whispered as more and more people lost interest in her strange speech.

"I dunno-oooooo," I yawned. "Umbrage or something, doesn't that mean 'an annoyance'?"

"Annoying is one word," said Dean Thomas, a cute fifth year. Colin's head slid off his hand and slammed onto the table, the surrounding Gryffindors tried to stifle laughs when he asked what he had missed.

"Mm can't wait for her class," I said sarcastically to Ginny as we left the Great Hall.

"Oh Ron, what's the password?" asked Ginny after pushing past the first years.

"I'm not telling you, you'll have to sleep outside with the Fat Lady tonight."

"Ron!" Hermione screamed. "You cannot deny a Gryffindor the password! Its Mimbulus Mimbletonia- Ron I'm not finished!" We left the two to fight and snuck behind a tapestry to a secret passageway that would help us avoid the crowd.

"Mimbulus Mimbletonia, wasn't that the weird plant Neville had on the train?" Ginny asked, I shrugged then held the tapestry aside for her. We gave the Fat Lady our password then ignored everyone in the common room and went up to our dormitory to catch up.

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Wednesday night of the first week of term I couldn't sleep.

"Oh! Hello Harry," I said surprised. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be in the common room. Harry was slumped over a piece of parchment and grunted a makeshift greeting.

"Why are you still up?"

"Had detention with Umbridge, didn't get any work done," he said without pulling his eyes from the parchment.

"She's awful! No wands in Defense Against the Dark Arts, it's a joke! I heard about your row with her. Colin Creevey had a go at her yesterday 'cause she called you a liar, gave us a whole speech afterwards. I swear Colin's in love with you, though."

"Yeah, well at least he believes me," said Harry hotly.

"Hey, I believe you too," I said defensively, but I spoke softer the second time,"What's she making you do?"

"Lines."

"Your hand must be killing you!"

"What?" Suddenly Harry looked up as if I had said something I wasn't supposed to know.

"Well, McGonagall gave me lines last year and I had dreadful cramps in my hand," I elaborated.

"Oh, yeah, hand cramps," he said offhandedly.

"I'll let you finish, 'night Harry." I departed up the stairs to the dormitory. Harry was acting a bit odd, but I didn't think more about it because I finally drifted off to sleep.

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**Review!**

**Thanks (:**

**mayzie**


	3. Rebels

**Huzzah! I was finally able to upload this without doing some crazy cut paste job in one of my already uploaded files.**

**I think the next chapter will be out much sooner.**

**Thanks to my reviewers! Keep it up, it makes me smile (: It also makes me feel good enough about this to keep going.**

**I don't own Harry & Company.**

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"'High Inquisitor?' No way that can be good," Ginny sighed glancing over my arm at the _Daily Prophet_. I nodded and read on.

"Ugh, this is awful," I said making a face. "Gin, this Percy Weasley they quoted, that's not your-"

"Good-for-nothing prat brother?" Fred Weasley, Ginny's older brother finished for me. He squeezed himself in between Ginny and I and took a piece of my bacon to nibble on. George, Fred's twin, appeared on Ginny's other side.

"We don't really like to talk about him," George said shaking his head. A few Gryffindors down from them the trio, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, were also discussing the _Daily Prophet_ article. Turned towards them, away from Fred, Ginny and George, I was able to see Michael approaching, Fred saw him too.

"We'll leave you love birds."

"How did you know?" Ginny looked to my guilty face, "Sorry Gin." George clapped me on the back as the twins left the table.

"I'm gonna go too," I said offering Michael my seat, Ginny and Michael never spent much time together because Michael was in Ravenclaw, so I liked to help as much as I could. I jogged a little to catch up with the twins and their friend, Lee Jordan.

"Hey Cassie, interested in making a little extra money?" George said throwing an arm over my shoulder casually. Then Hermione passed by before I could respond, her prefect badge gleaming.

"Gotta go," said Fred with a wink as he sped away with George and Lee.

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"Good morning students."

"Good morning Professor Umbridge."

"Wands away, please," Professor Umbridge's girly voice called. I watched everyone roll their eyes, most of us had stopped bothering with taking our wands out at all.

"Please turn to Chapter 3 and read. There will be no need to talk." I threw my arm up so fast that my shoulder cracked. Professor Umbridge's eyes narrowed, "Is this about the reading, Miss Lestrange?"

"Are we allowed to take notes?" I shot Ginny a meaningful look then returned Umbridge's gaze with a pseudo-sweet smile. She looked pleasantly surprised.

"Why yes, of course Miss Lestrange!" She smiled showing her pointy little teeth. I nodded and dropped my head so my face was hidden behind a curtain of my long blond hair, and made a gagging face at Colin who laughed silently. I watched across the room as Ginny pulled out her pale blue leather journal, a quill, and ink. _Good_, I thought, _she got the hint_. I proceeded to pull out my matching journal, which was covered in tan leather. I opened to the second page and saw the words

_does it work?_

in Ginny's handwriting appear on the page, then fade away.

_beautifully_

I wrote and watched it disappear too.

_excellent!_

Ginny's handwriting responded. Ginny and I created these notebooks so that we could communicate anywhere, especially in class, under the noses of teachers. Ginny had gotten the idea from Tom Riddle's diary. Though she was hesitant to revisit the memories of her first year, it proved to be very helpful to us. We spent the rest of the class talking about Umbridge and how stupid she was, it was time well spent.

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"Oh Cassie, I'm glad I ran into you!" Hermione said quietly as we almost collided in the portrait hole. "Where's Ginny?" I stepped back into the common room with Hermione following so we weren't blocking the entrance.

"She's up in our room," I said pointing behind me in the direction of the stairs.

"Are any of the other girls up there?" she said looking around the common room nervously.

"Erm no? They all went down to lunch already- Hermione?" Hermione took off for the stairs at a very brisk pace, "You come too," she said not even looking behind her. I chased her up the stairs, "Do you mind telling me what this is about?"

"What what's about?" Ginny was descending the stairs as we ascended. Hermione took both of our hands and pulled us up the remainder stairs and into the fourth year girls' dormitory.

"I'm sorry I was so brusque," Hermione murmured as she shut the door behind her, "but I want to talk to you two about something." Ginny and I exchanged looks. "Remember how I mentioned Harry teaching defense classes?" We nodded. "Well he's agreed! We're going to meet at the Hog's Head this upcoming weekend, you know the dodgy pub with the goats? Tell anyone who may be interested, and trusted," and with that Hermione turned on her heel and left. Ginny raised her eyebrows and I smiled.

"I think I'll let Michael know," Ginny said vaguely as we headed to lunch together.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" I whispered as Ginny and I wove our way through the crowded library.

"I told you, some of Michael's friends are going to take some convincing," Ginny sighed.

"But I really don't see why Michael _needs_ his friends so bad, he's got you hasn't he?" Ginny looked back at me with an expression I think she picked up from Hermione. I sighed and kept walking, mouth shut. We finally found the boys in a remote corner of the library. Anthony Goldstein, Terry Boot, and Michael were sitting expectantly at the table in front of us. I swung my bag off my shoulder and onto the table.

"Look I know which one of you is the one with the problem, so I'll make this quick, I have a Potions essay I've put off long enough," I said in a bored voice while still giving Terry a pointed look. I took a deep breath and exhaled, Ginny looked like she was going to speak but I cut across her.

"The _Daily Prophet_ is full of lies, I trust Dumbledore and Dumbledore trusts Harry therefore I think he's telling the truth. We can't keep fooling ourselves by thinking that this Defense Against the Dark Arts class is going to get any better. Umbridge is a terrible woman and I think we really should get the chance to learn properly whether or not You-Know-Who is out there," I finished with a shrug. Terry Boot looked a little offended, but sorry too.

"I'm sorry about what happened on the train, Cassie," he said putting his arms up in surrender. "All summer I've been listening to my mum talk about the _Daily Prophet_ like it was law, but since I've been back at school I've got my own opinions back, I'm on your side."

"Oh," was all I was able to manage.

"So are we all good? Will we be seeing you lot in Hogsmeade tomorrow?" said Ginny breaking the silence. They all nodded and after I gave them a weak smile, and Ginny a formal good bye I went off to find another table where I could write my essay in peace.

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**Don't forget to review! Good, bad, whatever. If you want to talk to me about whether you'd prefer butterbeer or firewhiskey be my guest because then I'll know more people are reading my masterpiece. Just kidding, well about the masterpeice part.**

**Review!**

**Thanks (:**

**mayzie**


	4. And So It Begins

**Sorry, I feel like it's been forever and a half since I last updated because I've reached the awkward middle part of my story that wasn't previously written.**

**I'm still not J.K. Rowling, I still don't own Harry Potter and those that are associated with him.**

**Big thanks to all my reviewers, you are most appreciated.**

**Hope you like it (:**

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"Ginny have you seen my new Gryffindor scarf? The one with the embroidered lion? Gin?" I stopped my search through my trunk to look over at Ginny passed out on her bed. I sighed and only returned to my search after I pulled the book out of her hand, marked the page, and placed it on her bed side table. _Note to self: Clean and organize trunk_. I shoved my hand into the depths, turning my body so I could reach farther into my trunk, but I was searching blind. My hand finally brushed past something soft that felt like my scarf. I wrapped my fingers around the bit closest to my hand and yanked the scarf out of the abyss of my trunk. But it wasn't my Gryffindor scarf I had grabbed, it was a emerald green and silver scarf that forced me to remember my first two days at Hogwarts.

"Lestrange, Cassiopeia," McGonagall called near the little stool that bore the grubby old sorting hat. The moment of truth, all those years wishing I had just been adopted rather than shipped off to my grandmother's while my parents were spending their lives in prison, being ashamed though all I was ever taught was to be proud of my parents, taught to hate muggles and muggleborns and now all I could hope for was to be told that I truly was different from the rest of my family. I slipped through the other first-years cautiously while praying no one recognized my name, but there were still whispers throughout the hall. Professor McGonagall raised the hat as I sat on the stool, and then dropped it on my head over my eyes.

Suddenly a cool but rough voice made a disgusted noise in my head and continued to speak, "A Lestrange, and a Black? A dangerous combination, both outstanding families of Slytherin, yes your place is clear, but wait! No, no I see much greater things for you; loyalty, bravery, and cunning. Difficult, very difficult. Miss Lestrange you are a black sheep in your family . . . GRYFFINDOR!"

_Oh yes! Oh no_. I was certainly able to see Draco's 'I'm gonna tell' face across the Great Hall while older Gryffindors welcomed me to their table and patted me on the back. The next thing I knew, the sorting was done, Ginny was sitting across from me, and two identical redheads, who I later learned were Fred and George, were asking me if I was related to the infamous Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, death eaters. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a tubby second-year, who was Neville, go pale, but paid him no mind and found this the perfect opportunity to start anew.

"No, of course not! They're disgusting, besides wouldn't I be in Slytherin if I were related to them?" I scoffed and filled my plate with potatoes and tried to speak as little as possible. A girl next to me who I remembered thinking had too much bushy brown hair lended me a hand by saying, "Lestrange is a very popular and widespread Wizard name. It's all over the History books!" Leave it to Hermione to know something about my name even I didn't know. Tomorrow I would start the day as just Cassie, not Cassiopeia Ursula Black-Lestrange.

The next day was worse, Grandmamma sent me an owl with a cashmere silver and green scarf with a letter saying how thrilled she was to have another Slytherin in the family, trying as hard as I could not to throw up I scrawled a responding letter that said nothing about the fact that I was not in Slytherin. I thought about the family tree tapestry with the burns in it everywhere a family member had strayed from the pureblood, Slytherin path, and my stomach continued its flips. I buried my head in the scarf and groaned, but before any of my new friends could comment, Draco was right behind me.

"Grandmamma thinks you made Slytherin, then?" I could just hear his nasty little sneer. "I wonder what would happen if someone were to inform her otherwise?"

I took a quick glance at the teachers who seemed enveloped in their breakfasts and grabbed Draco by the front of his robes with a wand and butter knife pushed to his throat.

"Too bad she'll never find out." I practically growled and Draco didn't have his new cronies to back him up, nor would he have them at home or at family parties, he was scared.

"Fine." I let go and Draco straightened his robes.

"Good." I responded shortly. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom, Gryffindor second years as well as Ginny, a fellow first year watched this exchange nervously.

The first few days of Hogwarts were pure bliss as were the first few years away from Grandmamma, those were days I'd never forget, even now in the beginning of my fourth year. I sighed, tossed the Slytherin scarf back in my trunk, then flopped onto my bed and fell asleep with hopes that it wouldn't be too cold in Hogsmeade the next day

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"Cass, are you absolutely sure you want to do this? 'Cause Hermione said not to bother coming unless we were serious."

"Gin, I have walked through all of Hogsmeade to the dodgiest part of it to a total dive bar with some strange characters coming in and out of it, and you're questioning where my loyalties lie?" Ginny sighed and laughed at the situation, we were just a couple of fourth years about to enter the Hog's Head, a notorious pub for odd costumers.

We stepped inside to find a group fairly represented by all the houses, except Slytherin, of course. At the front of it all stood Ron, Hermione, and of course, the 'Boy Who Lived' himself, Harry, the reason for this meeting.

Ginny and I stood quietly in the back with Michael and his friends as everyone tried to fluff up Harry's ego just before a flood of questions came to him. Being the modest Harry he was he denied having any true talent, "HA!" I was immediately silenced by Ginny who whapped me across the chest. I covered my mouth and saw Hermione attempt not to look smug.

After some more conversation and awkward pauses and Ginny breaking up a fight, Hermione held up a piece of parchment and a quill, "So, whose in?"

I looked at Harry, who had no parents because of the You-Know-Who. Then I looked to Neville, whose parents were as good as dead. _No more_, and it would start with me.

I stepped forward, and took the parchment from Fred before even George could sign.

Dumbledore's Army. That's what we were calling ourselves. I giggled when I thought of the name and how Grandmamma would probably have a heart attack if she ever found out. She always thought I was such a good child, but of course, only bad girls get caught. There was something about the D.A., past the rebellion against the ministry and its lies and Umbridge, which was very appealing to me. I was part of something, something potentially important. I had Luna and Ginny but otherwise I was a bit out of the loop, any loop. There was Harry, Ron and Hermione who I talked to, but they kept to themselves when they weren't fighting, and Fred and George who don't see me as anything more than their little sister's friend. But the D.A. pulled a bunch of good, talented kids together with a common goal, and it was just like having friends. Oh wow that last thought sounded like something awkward Luna would say.

Harry was such a good teacher. Our first lesson was disarming, simple I know, but Harry said that's what saved him from You-Know-Who last time, which is pretty incredible. Most people were pretty good after our second meeting, well everyone but Neville Longbottom.

"I just can't get this," Neville sighed giving up. I had partnered up with him because Ginny went with Michael and a fifth year Hufflepuff took Luna. I wondered if he knew what he was getting himself into. I _am so much better than her_. But I immediately felt sick from my thought, Luna was my friend, and everyone's a little weird, right?

"No, no Neville. You heard what Harry said, all the amazing witches and wizards we know now started out like this." I took his wand hand in mine, "Now head up, deep breath, now flick that wand like you've never flicked a wand before!" I moved my hand in the motion I wanted Neville to move on his own before walking back in front of him and bracing myself, just in case I gripped my wand loosely.

"Expelliarmus!" Neville shouted and my wand flew out of my hand. My jaw dropped and before I could run to him to congratulate him the whole DA was surrounding him patting him on the back. I retrieved my wand then stood proudly just outside the circle of congratulations grinning like a fool at Neville who mouthed the words "thank you."

Leaving the room of requirement I slung my arm around Neville's waist, he had gotten so tall that I couldn't reach his shoulders, and said quite sincerely, "You were brilliant, your parents would be so proud of you, and not just for disarming me." Neville looked down at me and just smiled and blushed. Suddenly I found returning the smile difficult, so I returned the blush and looked away quickly.

"… and it will become hot so that you'll know when the coin changes." There were murmurings about how brilliant Hermione's idea was, "N.E.W.T. level," someone had even said. I turned the fake galleon over and over again in my hand, gliding my finger along the edge, picking at the numbers etched in its surface. _Pretty convincing_. I pocketed the coin, said goodbye to the D.A. then headed back to the common room with Ginny and Neville.

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"Cassie can you hand me the quilt on top of my trunk?"

"There's no quilt there-" Ginny peered around the curtains on her bed to look from the trunk to my face, she cocked an eyebrow as my face filled with understanding.

"What did you do with my quilt? Cass it's getting really cold, you know I need it," Ginny said in the bored kind of way you talked to a small child who was always getting in trouble, it reminded me of the way Ginny would sometimes talk to Fred or George.

"I was practicing the Reduction charm while I was waiting for you to get out of the bathroom this morning, I was going to put it back to normal but we were running late," I picked up a small cloth square and tapped it with my wand while whispering more than just the growing charm. I handed Ginny a slightly larger and a little more stuffed quilt than the one I had reduced that morning. I hoped she noticed.

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"Wake up! Cassiopeia you promised me and Hermione that you'd come watch the Quidditch game with us! It's Ronny's first match, we _have_ to go!"

"Alright, alright!" I waved Ginny away but pulled my blankets off nonetheless. I had worn my Gryffindor pajamas to bed for good luck and had my very warm outfit for the pitch already laid out. It does not take much convincing to get me to watch Quidditch. I threw my extra layers into a bag so I wouldn't sweat to death in the Great Hall and headed down, after meeting up with Hermione and Ginny in the common room.

"How're you feeling Ron?" Ginny asked looking at her brother over the Gryffindor table with concern. If he felt the way he looked I would assume he felt awful. Harry said something about nerves, I'd be nervous too if the Slytherins had a whole song about me. Ginny and I had decided not to mention the song to Ron, it was better that way. Then Luna came over, Ginny and I were the first to see her approach because we were facing the Ravenclaw table, though what she was wearing was hard to miss. On Luna's head sat a life-size lion head hat, which we later found out roared. After she left Gin, Hermione, and I slipped into petty gossip because the boys were no longer contributing to the conversation.

"I don't think Ron's going to eat anymore so we're going to head out, see you," Harry waved as he pulled a reluctant Ron behind him. Hermione ran to catch up with the boys after Ginny and I wished them luck, we watched as Hermione kissed Ron on the cheek. Ginny and I exchanged significant looks, both of our eyebrows shooting up towards our hairlines, I could feel my eyebrows brush against my bangs on their way up. We kept our faces as Hermione regained her seat across from us. She blushed and looked at her plate, "What? I had to distract him so he wouldn't see the Slytherins' badges." I couldn't help myself from saying, "Suuuuure, oh and the muggle Queen of England just invited me for tea, she says you're welcome to join." Someday I'll drown myself in my own sarcasm.

I have never, in all my years of knowing my dear sweet Ginevra, seen her turn such a violent shade of red. Her face was brighter than her hair while her knuckles turned white from clentching her hands into such tight fists. Several time Hermione or I had to take away Ginny's wand until she promised she wouldn't hex any Slytherins.

"…WEASLEY IS OUR KING…"

"Please, just one, right at Malfoy, please," Ginny begged pulling at the front of my robes and shaking me with desperation. Hermione pulled her off and pushed her onto the bench.

"Ginny, it's just a stupid song written by stupid people, _Slytherins_, don't let it get to you like that," Hermione soothed Ginny and patted the hand that wasn't still latched onto my robes.

"But they're making Ron all nervous, he's not this bad! Really!" Ginny stared up at me, through the course of the Quidditch match she had gone from angry, to revenge seeking, to slightly nauseous, to desperate, and finally helpless. It really was a day of firsts, I have never seen Ginny helpless before, and I think besides that one time in our first year she never _has_ been helpless before. I sat down too and pried her hand off my robes.

"Hermione's right, it's just a game and they're just Slytherins. Besides, Harry'll catch the snitch soon and the game'll be-"

"Harry Potter catches the snitch! Gryffindor wins!" the announcer, Lee Jordan, bellowed.

"Oh thank Merlin!" Ginny and Hermione sighed at the same time. The three of us laughed as the stands cleared around us.

"Uh oh, trouble on the pitch." I pointed down onto the pitch where the Gryffindors and three Slytherins stood. Madame Hooch was scolding a Slytherin beater, one of Draco's cronies, and was completely oblivious to the fact that two certain Gryffindors and a certain Slytherin were left unattended. I could see the sun glint off of white blonde hair the way it shines off of my own.

"Draco," I breathed.

"Oh and that's Harry and Fred, no erm George?" Hermione added. We hardly said more before Ginny was flying down the benches in front of us to get as close to the pitch as she could. We hurried after her while carefully climbing our ways down. We decided it was George with Harry and Fred was the one being held back by all three Gryffindor chasers and not without a lot of effort on their parts. Something was going on, and knowing my cousin it was nothing good. I wanted to cover my eyes, but like a spell gone horribly wrong you can't help but watch. Now they were fighting. Harry and George were on top of Draco and it looked like they were really teaching him a lesson. I felt a twinge of defensiveness for my cousin but it dissipated when I remembered how he talked to Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley's. Sometimes I wanted to punch him too. The three of us just stood in the stands up high watching with our jaws hanging unattractively until the two teams had to be escorted off the pitch.

"How much do you want to bet Gryffindor's Quidditch privileges will be revoked?" Hermione said sounding defeated, though she never cared much for Quidditch.

"Every knut I own," Ginny sighed before turning towards the stairs off the stands. I followed quietly. When one Gryffindor hurts, we all hurt. I was once told that that was a Hufflepuff trait, I told them to sod off and go pet a badger. I'm a very proud Gryffindor.

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**mayzie**


	5. Young Love

**I'm so sorry, feel like a terrible person. It's been forever since I last updated. My computer crashed and all the random bits of story I had been writing were saved but my computer wasn't. Luckily I finally got my ancient laptop back and it's working better than ever so I promise I will be updating sooner next time.**

**I do not own anything Harry Potter related, all props go to Jo.**

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"Ooo it's snowing a lot," I sighed while staring wistfully out of the Gryffindor tower window. Ginny joined me at the window and we stared out onto the illuminated brown skies and glowing white grounds for a peaceful moment. I sighed again and moved myself over to my bed where Ginny sat next to me.

"I think I saw the lights on in Hagrid's," Ginny remarked.

"That's great! Where has he been all year?"

"Dunno," she said shrugging. Her tone suggested otherwise but I didn't push the subject, Ginny had been really vague on a lot of things lately. I was a little worried that something like what happened in first year might be happening again but she assured me she was fine and just really couldn't tell me what was going on. Hush, hush, you know?

"So. . . any plans for the holiday?" I asked changing the subject awkwardly.

"Burrow, Harry's coming too. What are your plans?"

"Just staying here."

"All alone?" Ginny asked with worry.

"Yeah, but I don't mind, I can catch up on work and not have to see my grandmother." Ginny laughed.

"I guess that is a good thing." She got up and turned down her blankets. Ginny climbed into bed. "I think I'm going to call it a night, we can go play in the snow tomorrow."

"Mm me too. Oh wait Gin-" I called her name just before she shut the curtains on her four poster bed.

"I've been thinking."

"That can't be good," she responded smirking. She looked a little ridiculous with her head poking out between the curtains.

"I think I like Neville." A broad grin appeared on Ginny's face.

"Glad you finally admitted to it." Ginny laughed again and shut the curtains.

"So, should I . . . tell him, or-?"

"Of course Cass, now let me sleep," I heard from behind Ginny's curtains.

The next day I went to the library. After searching the whole library I finally stood in front of Neville who was slumped over a Herbology textbook.

"Neville, what do you know about bezoars?"

"What?"

"Bezoar stones, do you know anything about them?" I stared down at my half finished potions essay. Neville shook his head.

"I'm awful at potions," he sighed. I pulled the chair out from under the table, across from Neville, before seating myself. I scooted in and leaned over the table towards him.

"Neville, why are you always so down on yourself? I bet you weren't that bad."

"No, really. Did you know bogarts take the form of Snape for me?" I laughed but stopped once I saw how serious Neville looked.

"But you had this stuff last year, right?" I persisted on.

"Yeah."

"Then you could help me out. You've survived your fourth year of potions, so could you help me survive mine?" I asked hopefully.

"Really," Neville said shaking his head again, "I'm the last person you want helping you with potions. Have you asked Hermione to help you?"

"No, I want _you_ to help me."

"Trust me Cassie, Hermione is brilliant, I'd probably just make things worse."

"I don't care how smart Hermione is!" I shouted, getting an angry look from Ms. Pince, who was passing by with a cart of books. I groaned then said in a quieter manner, "Gees Neville can't you tell when a girl is just looking for a way to talk to you?" Then I stormed out of the library not even bothering to look back at the puzzled Neville.

"Dried nettles," I sighed as the Fat Lady swung open. I always appreciated moments when she chose not pry.

"Wait!" Someone was running down the corridor towards me, I turned to see Neville all red-faced from running. I waited until he caught up then stepped into the portrait hole wordlessly.

"Thank you," Neville huffed, "I forgot the password, I wish she'd stop changing it. Wait! Cassie!" I continued walking away until I reached the steps leading to the girls' dormitory and looked back at Neville quickly. He looked hurt and confused. Ginny was coming up behind him, I knew she'd follow me. As I ascended the steps I heard Neville ask Ginny if something was wrong.

I tore the door to the fourth year girls' room open and stomped all the way to my bed and threw myself onto it like a little kid having a tantrum. I would give Ginny five minutes to come up here and yell at me before I would start my homework.

Like clockwork Ginny was up in two and slammed the door behind her.

"What is wrong with you?" She shouted. I tore my head off my pillow and looked at her; it seemed to be the only thing she could think to say. Ginny wore an expression of anger mixed with incredulity at my actions. "Neville's all upset; he thinks you're mad at him because you were ignoring him. What happened?" She added after seeing my face screw up. She softened her tone, "Cass? You can tell me, I'm your best mate. I thought you were going to tell him how you felt."

I blew out a breath to get my bangs out of my face then stayed silent. If I knew Ginny, and I did, she would take that as an invitation to sit on my bed, and she did. She mirrored me by crossing her legs and taking my other pillow and put it on her lap. Ginny looked at me expectantly. I sighed and told her about how I blew up at the library.

Ginny started laughing, "You're ignoring Neville because your stupid plan to talk to him failed?" I scowled; it had seemed like a good idea at the time.

"Cassiopeia," Ginny placed her hand on my knee and looked at me seriously, "you talk to Neville _everyday_, since when did you get so, so awkward?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I think it's all this time at the D.A. meetings finally getting to me but Neville's sweet and funny and kind of . . ."

"Cute?" Ginny laughed again as I blushed. "He has become less unfortunate looking since our first year, huh? I guess he's kind of cute in an awkward sort of way, but he's not my cup of tea, ya know?"

"Why? Because he doesn't have black hair and glasses?" I teased.

"Honestly its Harry's eyes I like best- Hey!" Now I was the one laughing.

"You _love_ Harry Potter! Admit it Gin!"

"Only if you admit you love Neville Longbottom!" She scowled and I shut my mouth. "Then I'm not saying anything," she grinned, accomplished. "Now come on," Ginny offered me her hand, "you should apologize to Neville so you can keep him around." I surrendered and took her hand, I felt bad, Neville was one of my best friends.

"Neville?" He was sitting in an armchair by the fire looking miserable, when I approached Harry, Ron, and Hermione gave me a strange look but stopped their conversation to listen in. Neville looked up so I continued, "I'm sorry about earlier. I was being an arse and it wasn't your fault, I was just being stupid." Ginny gave me the thumbs up from behind Neville. "So, am I forgiven? I don't want to lose one of my best mates because I let my bad mood get the best of me." I hung my head at Neville's silence, but then suddenly felt two warm arms wrap around me.

"Am I really one of your best mates?" I nodded weakly. "Of course you're forgiven; I was so worried I did something to upset you." Neville and I exchanged smiles and I saw the trio looking satisfied. I never realized until that moment how fantastic Neville smelt. I swooned a little. I feel like once I admitted to liking Neville all the feelings I had had under control were running wild.

Monday my hand was in my pocket as usual fingering the protean charmed coin that let the D.A. members communicate, I must have looked at it a thousand times today, but every time it was without change. One more time I pulled out the coin and immediately knew we would be having another meeting. I gripped the coin in my fist, which I held to my chest and smiled.

"Luna!" I screamed the second I saw her blond head bobbing ahead of me in the corridor. She turned around, her dirigible plum earrings swinging. "Did you see?" I called, getting strange looks from the other students in the hall. Luna smiled and held up something that caught the light of a nearby window. I started towards her not caring who was in my way. I threw my arm around her shoulder and we walked to lunch trying to come up with what we thought Harry would teach us next.

Even though Luna didn't have any friends in Ravenclaw we still parted to go to our respective house tables.

"Hey," I said to no one in general. I sat in the space between Neville and some rude first year, whom I shoved over, across from Ginny.

"Did you see?" Ginny and Neville both asked excitedly. I nodded with a smile as I ladled soup into my bowl.

"Me and Luna were just discussing," I looked up at the teachers' table to see Umbridge preoccupied by her lunch, _stupid toad_. "I reckon we'll just learn some more defensive spells, but Luna thinks Harry'll teach us how to do patronuses tonight."

"Our sources say-"

"No. Harry's probably just going to do a wrap before the holidays." Fred sat down next to Neville and George joined Ginny on the other side of the table.

"Oh." Colin Creevy joined the five of us in our hushed discussion of Dumbledore's Army.

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	6. Christmas

**See? I promised I'd update sooner!**

**This chapter's much longer than the others I hope you like it :)**

**I still only own my dearest Cassie the rest belong to JK Rowling**

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"Miss Lestrange?"

"Oh shit. Professor?"

"Language Miss Lestrange! I'll ignore the fact that you snuck out of bed at night to go to the kitchens I'm assuming," Professor McGonagall said indicating the glass of orange juice in my hand. She held the portrait hole open and waved me into the common room. In the dim light of the common room I could see that McGonagall looked utterly alarmed.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Professor?" She considered me with her lips pressed together in a thin line.

"You're friends with Miss Weasley, yes?" I nodded. "Her father has- fallen ill. Can you go wake her?"

"Of course!" As I ran up the spiral staircase to our dormitory I had that reoccurring suspicion that something was being left out, but I let it go because something about McGonagall's tone made me think it was worse than I could imagine because McGonagall usually held herself together.

I slipped in the door and pulled back the curtains around Ginny's bed. She was curled up around her pillow like it was a person.

"…Harry…" I snickered but shook her shoulder.

"Ginny!" I whispered harshly. "Wake up! Something's wrong, it's your Dad!" Ginny sat bolt upright.

"What?!" Her hair stuck out at odd ends and I quickly ran my fingers through her hair to make her look a little less wild.

"McGonagall's waiting down in the common room- I don't know anything," I responded to the look on her face. She didn't seem capable of getting off of her bed so I grabbed her dressing gown and took her hand. I pulled her up, pushed slippers towards her with my foot and handed her the dressing gown. I followed her down the stairs. Just as we came down the stairs we found Fred and George waiting for us. They both looked frantic.

"Harry and Ron went to Dumbledore's, we have to go too."

"Harry reckons something happened to Dad." Ginny just stared at her brothers. I immediately took her in my arms and hugged her tight.

"Everything'll be okay, send me a letter as soon as you find out about your dad," I said as I handed Ginny off to George. She nodded and wiped a small tear from her eye. I watched concernedly until the portrait hole closed behind them.

McGonagall found me staring into the dying fire sometime around three in the morning. I felt her sit onto the sofa beside me. I turned my head slightly to see her take off her square glasses and rub her eyes.

"Miss Lestrange."

"Professor." McGonagall sighed heavily

"We'll need to inform Miss Granger."

"Professor?" I paused, "What happened?" McGonagall stiffened.

"Well, Miss Lestrange, Mr. Weasley was, well he was attacked by a rather large snake." I gasped, what if it was a poisonous snake? What if the reason I hadn't received word from Ginny was because she was too grief stricken to tell me her father had died.

"Is- is he- okay?"

"We're not sure but he has been taken to St. Mungo's. The Weasleys have gone home and will be staying there until holidays are over. It would be best if Umbridge just knew that Arthur has fallen ill." I nodded and made a move to get Hermione. McGonagall didn't say anything and neither did I. After I brought Hermione down I was sent to bed. The fact that Mr. Weasley was at least in St. Mungo's made me comfortable enough to fall asleep.

I woke up to a tapping on the window. I had left my hangings open and had to pass Ginny's empty bed to open the frozen glass. A large, official looking tawny owl sat on the windowsill with a small piece of parchment in its beak. I took the note and the owl flew away. On the parchment were a few hastily scribbled words:

_Cassie-_

_Dad's going to be fine, don't worry. Can't send mail from where I'm staying. Happy Christmas!_

_-Love Ginny_

I used my relief to fall back to sleep for a few more hours before I'd have to say goodbye to Hermione before she left for the holidays.

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I always had a thing for rituals, uniformity, repetitive actions, anything that could keep my little corner of this changing world the same. First year I had taken to sitting with my back to the stone wall so that I faced the rest of the Great Hall at every meal. I could rarely sit comfortably when so much was going on behind me without my knowledge, and Ginny would never narrate the little things that would catch my own eye if I even asked her to. So I sat facing the rest of Hogwarts until this year. The first years seemed to enjoy the far side of the Gryffindor table as much as I do and I never had the heart to reclaim my seat so I began sitting with my back to the Great Hall. With each and every meal I became more and more comfortable with missing out on the nothingness that may or may not be happening behind me. I stopped looking to the other side for seats; I just sat down and ignored the rest of the school. I was fine with this change until this morning when I found the first years had switched sides. Why couldn't everyone sit in the same seat every time like I do? I let out a groan and walked all the way around the table to sit somewhere in the middle next to Hermione. Suddenly I had a surge of comfort I didn't know I missed and the Great Hall never seemed so interesting as it did now. It was like my first evening in the castle all over again.

From my new position, though, I could see Draco. I wondered if when his gaze swept over the Gryffindor table if he ever looked at me. I realized then that I was blatantly staring at my cousin, hoping he would see me, and he did. In his eyes I saw something odd, something I hadn't seen in a long time, hurt. My brow furrowed but we continued to stare at each other. When had I last seen that look? Then I remembered.

It was the Christmas of my first year and I had just stepped off the Hogwarts express into the arms of Aunt Cissy. I always found it odd how she acted with me. Always so poised, though occasionally letting the façade slip for Draco, or even less often her husband, but for me it was different. I was her favorite and Draco knew it. I was always rather smug about it. She would scoop me up and kiss my face and hug me like she had just been reunited with a long lost daughter after years. She pulled me into a tight embrace and swayed slightly as she asked me how my first term was and if I had seen Draco on the train. There was no need though because Draco appeared right behind me. Aunt Cissy released me finally so she could hug her only child but was held back by Lucius who stood primly at her side. He gave a curt nod to Draco and I then turned on his heel, no doubt expecting us to follow. I would be spending the first few days of holiday with the Malfoys, something I had looked forward to before I had been sorted. We grabbed our trunks and Aunt Cissy continued chatting with me about school. Do I like it? Have I made any friends? Are there any boys I may fancy? How are my marks? Then she asked a question that made Draco and I stop dead.

"And how is Slytherin? Draco, are you being good to your cousin?" She didn't notice our sudden stop because she had to stop not far ahead to get in the queue to leave Platform 9 ¾. I looked desperately at Draco; the sudden fear of my secret getting out prevented me from giving him the meaningful glare I had intended. There it was, the look of hurt in his eyes when he stared back at me.

"Wonderful, yes I always am," he said heartily, but it didn't reach his eyes, something about this troubled Draco.

Seeing that look again in the Great Hall while Pansy threw herself at Draco I knew that Draco looked for me whenever his gaze swept over the Gryffindor table because it seemed like he wanted me to see him this way for some time. It was then that I wondered if Draco ever missed me as a friend like I would sometimes miss him. Seeing that look told me once again that the answer I sought was 'yes.'

There was the familiar sound of flapping wings and screeching owls as mail arrived. I looked up and saw my grandmother's owl swoop gracefully down in front of me just missing Hermione's pumpkin juice. I stroked his head with one hand and untied the letter from his leg with the other. He sat expectantly, probably waiting for a reply. I shifted my gaze to the letter from Grandmamma.

_Cassiopeia,_

_Change of plans, you are expected at the estate for the winter holidays. Lucius is having an important Christmas gala. Your aunt and I feel it is crucial at your age for you and Draco to attend. Draco will be coming to stay with us for the first half of the holiday because his parents will be on important business. Pereguin will come to collect your things, you will both floo to the estate._

_See you Saturday,_

_Grandmamma_

_Reply so that I know you received this._

I groaned and put the letter on the table and went back to my eggs. Hermione picked up the letter and read.

"Tough luck there, Cassie."

"Eh, don't worry about it," I sighed scribbling a response and tying it to Grandmamma's owl. "At least I'll get a nice gown out of it," I said with a half smile. I looked back across the hall at Draco, who had a letter in his hand too and a disgusted look on his face.

"Looks like Malfoy just got the news," said Hermione, nodding in the direction of the Slytherin table. I shrugged, I only had an hour to find all my green clothes and pack them for the winter break.

Forty-five minutes later I joined Hermione back down in the Entrance Hall to begin our trek down to Hogsmeade station to go home.

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"Mistress Lestrange! Mistress Lestrange!" Pereguin was jumping up and down near one of the platform fireplaces. I swerved through the crowds like an expert feeling Draco close behind me. Draco practically threw his massive bag at frail old Pereguin eliciting a glare from me. But Pereguin didn't notice, he simply snapped his fingers and vanished all of our things. The green fire flickered just before I stepped in and called "Lestrange Estate." Pereguin was already in the drawing room floating the luggage upstairs when Draco stepped from the fire nonchalantly behind me. We didn't even look at each other before we both headed for the door. Next thing I knew the two of us were elbowing each other while trying to force our way through the door. We toppled out into the entrance hall and Draco rolled on top of me.

"Would you please-?" I huffed jamming my elbow up into Draco's ribcage. Someone cleared their throat from the stairs and we jumped up immediately as though we hadn't just been lying in a heap on the floor. Grandmamma stood on the bottom step with her bony hands draped over the end banister.

"Dinner is at eight, as usual. So good to see you Draco," but the tight expression on Grandmamma's face suggested otherwise. She stepped down the final step and turned in the door opposite us, the sitting room. Draco brushed past me to go to the guest room that was almost always reserved for him. And I followed to go up to the only room on the third floor that spanned the length of the whole house, which was mine.

My birthday was five days after we arrived back at the estate and Draco and I had hardly made any contact all week. When I woke the morning of my birthday Pereguin came into my room with a tray with all my favorite breakfast foods and a muffin with a single candle in it. Because I knew everyone else would be forgetting my birthday that day I could hardly stop myself from pulling Pereguin into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much!" Pereguin's green skin became darker, so I supposed he was blushing.

"Happy birthday Mistress. Pereguin remembers the day Mistress was born fifteen years ago. Mistress may not believe it, but Madame Lestrange was very happy to be a grandmother, Pereguin remembers well." I smiled while trying not to scoff and blew out the candle on the muffin then thanked Pereguin one more time as he bowed himself out of my room. After he left I realized there was a card sitting on the tray. This was the first time I had ever considered the literacy of house elves, but once I opened it I realized it wasn't from Pereguin. It was from Neville. My stomach fluttered as I read over Neville's well wishes for my birthday. I was so touched he remembered my birthday out of all of my friends.

_Dear Neville,_

_Thank you for my birthday card! I was so glad to hear from you! You're the first letter I've gotten all this time, for a second I thought Grandmamma was finding my letters and burning them. Hope all is going well during your Christmas holidays!_

_See you soon,_

_Cassie_

I rolled up the quick little note and slipped it into the small leather pouch tied to Orion's leg. He twisted his head, fluffed his feathers, and twitched his wings; he wanted to get out of here just as much as me. I sighed and watched as Orion flew into the brightening sky. I asked for my own owl for the simple reason that I didn't want my grandmother intercepting my mail, the nosy witch that she was. I closed up the doors to my balcony and my windows because it was absolutely frigid outside; I just liked to get the air moving in that stuffy old third floor bedroom every once in awhile.

Christmas was in a few days and I had forgotten to wish Neville a happy one, too bad Orion was long gone. But my worrying was interrupted by a knock on my door. It wasn't timid enough to be Pereguin and Grandmamma couldn't be bothered to come up to the third floor.

"Come in, Draco," I sighed turning my back to the door.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Well you didn't call me Mistress and Grandmamma hasn't been up here in years."

"Oh." Draco crossed my room and sat on my bed so that I was forced to look at him.

"What do you want?" I tried my best not to sound completely rude.

"I guess I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday," he said looking up at me.

"Oh." I couldn't remember the last time I had acknowledged Draco's birthday, in fact I couldn't even remember when it was. Draco reached behind him and brandished a box I hadn't seen before. I took it cautiously until I recognized the wrapping paper. I looked from the present to Draco, pleasantly surprised. "Wow, thanks, I didn't expect you to get me anything." He shrugged and said, "See you around," then left me to open up the Honey Dukes gift box he had given me.

Draco left early in the morning Christmas eve and Grandmamma and I were to attend a Christmas party that night at my aunt and uncle's manor, the Malfoy's. I sighed as I watched myself slide a brush through my long, sleek blond hair in my vanity mirror. I was in a strapless, blood red ball gown with matching lipstick and dark eye makeup. I hated this look, as I never wore makeup especially not this much in such noticeable colors. The whole getup made my pale, flawless skin glow, which I kind of liked. Just as I was clasping my favorite black pearl necklace around my neck there was a soft rap on my bedroom door.

"Enter," I cringed at how snooty I sounded.

"Young Mistress Lestange," my grandmother's house elf Pereguin, bowed into my bedroom. His pointed ears scraped my floor and his pillow case tunic slid a little off his shoulder.

"Please Pippin," I gave him that nickname after reading a muggle book that had a character named Pereguin, nicknamed Pippin, "if you must call me 'Mistress' at least call me 'Mistress Cassie' or something." Pereguin looked up at me and nodded.

"Madame Lestrange requests your presence _immediately_ in the drawing room, Mistress. . . Cassie," Pippin said hastily before bowing out of my room once more. I called a 'thanks' out the door before rushing out myself. It wouldn't do to keep her waiting.

Grandmamma stood by the fireplace we used most often for Floo. I looked to the clock on the mantle, forty-five minutes after the party was supposed to start; Grandmamma was always "fashionably late." She wore pure black silk dress robes, she said it was unnecessary for a woman of her age and social standing to go "carousing about in a sluttish dress," but seeing as we were finding me a husband, I guess I could carouse about in all the slutty dresses I wanted. I settled for a floor length silk strapless dress with a beaded bodice, Grandmamma also said that, "red seduces a man into thinking he likes you, showing skin never hurts either."

Grandmamma made me step into the green hearth first and after spinning uncomfortably I stepped from the Malfoy's fireplace wrapped up in my dress. Luckily Grandmamma arrived after I adjusted myself in a less than ladylike manner.

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I sat with my hand holding up my head as I stared blankly at the dancers on the floor. Suddenly a very large man approached with a woman nearly as big. I stood almost automatically before curtsying then offering my hand.

"Mr. Crabbe, Mrs. Crabbe, so lovely to see you," it really wasn't lovely at all, especially when Mr. Crabbe's eyes drifted to a spot just below the top of my dress and I knew he wasn't admiring the beadwork. Trying not to gag I excused myself just before they would try to pester me into dancing with their son, a brainless boulder Slytherin, one of Draco's cronies. I thanked Merlin for my aristocratic features, which seemed to have been lost amongst other wizarding families. I nearly sprinted across the great room to the double doors before I could be surrounded by the other death eaters with eligible sons.

The first place I could think to hide was in the coat closet the size of a small room where I used to hide when Draco and I would play hide-and-go-seek; I ducked in without bothering to switch the light on. I then made contact with something far more solid than a coat.

"Ow. Hey!" I lit my wand into the face of my cousin, Draco Malfoy.

"I was hiding here," he pouted.

"From who?" I forgot that I myself was in hiding.

"From all of father's friends with eligible daughters." I laughed as Draco frowned, I see we had the same idea.

Draco lit his wand too and looked nervous, "-and from you." Now I really started laughing.

"Me? Why? Merlin, Draco I didn't think you were that scared of me..." I trailed off at the look on his face.

"No, your grandmother and my mother have been… talking."

"They always talk."

"No, about continuing our pureblood lines." I scowled at Draco, I was going to marry a muggle if I could help it.

"So you don't want them fixing you up with anybody, trust me I get it. Drac, why do you think I'm in _here_?" I waved my non-wand hand around the closet. Then Draco sighed.

"Not anyone, Cassie, you. They want us to get married, you and me."

"WHAT!?! BUT YOU'RE MY-" Draco's hand flew over my mouth as I mumbled "cousin" into his palm.

"Shhhh you idiot! Do you want them to find us? _Together? In a dark closet? Alone?"_

"_Nooooo_."

"Then shut up!" Draco released me completely, he had pulled me against him when he covered my mouth. Suddenly I felt a little woozy.

"Ihaftasitdown," I muttered before plopping myself on the floor, my dress fluttered down after me. Draco joined me on the floor and leaned his head back onto the wall our backs were to.

"What are we going to do? Even if we convince them that our love match is wrong they'll never leave us alone now that marriage is in their heads," Draco said angrily tugging at a loose string on one of the cloaks hung above us.

"We could fake it," I sighed.

"Fake what?"

"That we're 'together.' It'll be gross and incestual, but it won't be for real and Grandmamma and Aunt Cissy will leave us alone. We only have to keep it up when we're home anyway."

"That's…not a bad idea actually, and then all of those disgusting things father's friends are trying to pass off as girls, like Pansy, will leave me alone." I saw Draco grin in the wandlight.

"Well we've got to face them sometime, ask me to dance when we get in there," I stood up and yanked Draco up after me. I brushed off my dress and smoothed it down. "Make it convincing," I said giving Draco an extra hard poke in the chest.

"You do you're job I'll do mine." He then left the closet to return to the party. In the light of the foyer I could see his deep green dress robes, _perfect_, I thought, _we were all Christmasy_.

Aunt Narcissa of course rushed over to Draco and I the second we entered the great room.

"I have been looking for you two all night, but I see you found each other just fine." I quickly looped my arm through Draco's and looked up at him and giggled as he returned the look with the perfect expression of being lovestruck. We both nodded vigorously.

"Will you excuse us Mother? I have been waiting all night to dance with me dearest cousin," Draco cooed as Grandmamma approached. He pulled me away after winking at my grandmother who began to gossip with Aunt Cissy.

Draco spun me onto the dance floor and slid a trained hand to the small of my back and took my hand in his other one and placed it on his chest as I took my free hand and dropped it onto his shoulder. I proceeded to rest my head on Draco's chest.

"Damn you're good," Draco breathed into my hair.

"You're not half bad yourself," I complimented, "just don't say the 'C' word while we're doing this I don't want to think about it. The grossness of it all may impede my wonderful acting." I felt his chest shake from laughter.

"You _know _most of our family tree is just a straight line," Draco responded. I groaned before he continued, "Yeah I guess that doesn't make it any better. Though, personally I've always wanted six-fingered children." We continued dancing in silence and surprisingly Draco was a very good dancer. Finally I spoke up, "Drac?"

"Hm?"

"I miss this."

"What? Dancing really close and pretending to be my girlfriend?"

"Hey who said I was your girlfriend?" I teased. "No, I mean not loathing each other, cous."

"You used the 'C' word. And I still loathe you." But when I looked up at him he was smiling. That time when the song ended we broke apart awkwardly. Draco put his hand out, "Truce?" I took it and nodded, "Unless you piss me off."

In the morning Grandmamma was sitting by a green fire, I sighed, this could either be bad, or really bad. I took a step farther into the room to find my Aunt Cissy, Uncle Lucius, and Draco. Oh how I hated the Malfoy's, though Aunt Cissy was always so good to me, and Draco and I became closer the day before, I sensed something like fear or a feeling of debt radiating off the lot of them.

"Draco! Oh happy Christmas!" I threw my arms around my cousin and dug my nails into his back so he knew that he still needed to keep his mouth shut about school houses even if I had been nice to him yesterday, then released him to hug Aunt Cissy and ignore Lucius all together.

We exchanged gifts, Grandmamma giving something huge and gaudy to Draco, neither of us really knew what it did but I knew it was better than my gift. Even as my caretaker and biological grandmother, Grandmamma liked Draco best, something that didn't bother me in the least bit.

Aunt Cissy then gave me my present from her and the Malfoy's, something I looked forward to because I know she picked it out. I opened the box to find an intricate and beautifully made lace and silk set of dress robes. They were black and green and elegant and romantic and perfect for me. As I leaned in to give my aunt a kiss she whispered in my ear, "Emerald green looks great with our eyes." It was true. I looked like I could be Draco's twin for how much I looked like his mother, fair skin, white blonde hair, pale gray eyes, tall and thin, I wasn't complaining.

Next came my present from Grandmamma, who usually showered me with disgusting dark and ostentatious things I never wore or used or really even cared to look at.

"Cassiopeia, I know you'll be coming of age in two years but I was really quite tired of waiting to give this to you," Grandmamma pulled out a smallish box wrapped in black silk with a deep purple velvet bow. Aunt Cissy eyed the box suspiciously, she seemed to speculate what was in it, and something told me she would not like it. Overwhelmed by surprise, it took me a little longer to open the box, and as I did Aunt Cissy leapt off her chair.

"Where did you get that?" she shrieked.

I looked into the box to see a gorgeous engraved silver pendant about the size of a peach pit on a long silver chain. I looked closer to see a sort of coat of arms on it, a shield with a knife pointing upward, an upside down V shaped stripe and two stars, then two dogs on either side of the shield. It was gorgeous to say the least with delicate swirling, flowering engravings all around it.

"It was you mother's, she was going to give it to you when you would turn seventeen, but seeing as she'll probably never see that day, I wanted you to have it now, to remind you where you come from, and where your loyalties lie, although it does not have the motto, regretfully." Grandmamma folded her hands in her lap looking quite pleased with herself as my eyes nearly popped out of my head scrutinizing the necklace. Then Aunt Cissy made a swipe for it, "That is the crest for my family, the noble house of Black! It was supposed to be mine!"

"Bella was the oldest, it belonged to her, and Cassiopeia is half-Black," Grandmamma stated, standing her ground. I think her daughter-in-law was her most prized possession, more than her own son, my father Rodolphus.

"_Bella. Is. In. Azkaban!_" Aunt Narcissa became shriller and shriller with each word.

"Bellatrix is in Azkaban for better reasons than why you stand here in front of me today. _Get out of my house_." Grandmamma was standing now and I had never seen a ninety-year-old woman look so fierce. Narcissa looked as though she had been slapped and I wouldn't blame her. Suddenly she was pulling Draco into the once again blazing green fire, Lucius not far behind. Maybe Draco and I wouldn't have to keep up the act after all.

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**Oh snap, what'll happen next?**

**Review!**

**Thanks (:**

**mayzie**


	7. Unwanted Adventure

**Here's the next chapter, Cassie finds herself in a tough position but she stays brave no matter how scary the situation is for her.**

**Hope you enjoy! And don't forget to please review.**

**I do not own Harry Potter. The end.**

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I spent the night tossing and turning, dreaming about black dogs, serpents, and stars. I woke up thinking I had heard a knock on my door. It was dark and probably close to three in the morning. I tried to cling to my last dream, trying so hard to remember it. Though the details were lost to me, the anxiety the dream had brought about stayed with me as the darkness and silence crushed me. There was no one at my door, I finally concluded and pulled my blankets up around me to protect me from the dreams I couldn't remember. Just as I was about to drift back to sleep clutching the Black Family crest, the door creaked open. Fear shot up my spine and I was paralyzed under my covers, the dark was suffocating. Then soft light, I recognized as wand light, swept over me, then stopped in front of my face. My momentary blindness left me confused as a familiar voice said my name.

"Cassiopeia, your grandmother said you are to come with Lucius, Draco, and I."

"What? Why? What time is it?"

"Two-thirty, we are going on business, you must hurry, our Master does not like to wait. Put this on." Something landed on my bed. Master? I wracked my sleep deprived mind for the meaning of her words. No, no, no. Aunt Narcissa, whom I had always trusted was leading me to You-Know-Who. I gulped and sat up. Draco was in my doorway looking paler than usual and Lucius stood behind him with his nose in the air taking in my room with what appeared to be disgust. My eyes just about popped out of my head as I stared back at Aunt Cissy. Was she punishing me for taking the necklace? I hastily dropped it into my shirt while she wasn't looking.

"We'll let you change," she said tightly then turned and closed the door behind her. I gaped at the door, I knew this wasn't the kind of thing a list of excuses could get me out of. This was worse than any of the dreams that had kept me awake that night. I wiped away a stray tear and decided to face this like a Gryffindor. I put on a bra and black pants and a black sweater before slipping on the black cloak my aunt had given me.

It was tight up to my elbows then billowed out from the shoulder before bunching down around the point at which the shape changed at my elbow. There was a tighter part that wrapped and buttoned close to my body then a flowing outer layer that was light as air. It was a gorgeous cloak but there was something I could not overlook, the pointed hood that hung over my back. I was wearing a Death Eater cloak. I felt dizzy then calmed myself, took my wand and walked down the stairs with my head held high as though this was all I had ever wanted.

Draco did not conceal his fear well. I met the Malfoy's at the bottom of the grand staircase in the entrance hall. Grandmother was beside them and I was a bit shocked when she pulled me into an uncomfortable hug.

"You will truly make your parents proud tonight, it is a shame they couldn't be here with you." I shot Draco a look that clearly stated that I didn't feel the same. He looked down and I too turned my attention to the dark wooden floors.

"Come." Uncle Lucius said curtly. Grandmamma followed us to the French doors off the back of the house that led to the yard. Pereguin poked his head out of the pantry door and looked shocked and somewhat disappointed. I wiped away another tear. What if this was my last night because I could never pledge my allegiance to You-Know-Who? Who would ever tell Ginny what happened? I wiped away yet another tear and screwed up my face so that it wouldn't end up covered in tears.

The cold air was sharp on my face and hands, which I was quick to tuck into my cloak. I noticed that my cloak and Aunt Cissy's were different from Draco's and Lucius's. Their sleeves stayed loose past their wrists. I stared ahead bleakly as my insides filled with dread and became cold like my outside. The closest apparation point from the back of the house wasn't very close at all. We had to pass the stable and gated field I used to keep a horse in, walk through more fields, through a patch of woods, around the edge of a pond, through a meadow, and then the back gate in the high wall that encircled the Lestrange estate before we could apparate. As we approached the gate my stomach churned uncomfortably and I felt that prickling feeling in my sinuses before more tears could come. Draco and I had walked side by side in silence the whole time, making the distance between his parents and us larger and larger. He finally caught my elbow and turned me around so that I could stare into his face, which was illuminated by the moon.

"I'm sorry you have to do this."

"Well I don't have much of a choice do I?"

"No."

"Okay, well then," I turned and went to walk away.

"How can you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Just walk into this like that! You're friends with Potter!" The last part was in a whisper but it resonated in me.

"That's why."

"What's why?"

"I'm friends with Harry. Draco, I may be walking to my death tonight," I said solemly looking over at my unknowing aunt and uncle.

"But how can you do that? Aren't you scared?" Draco gripped my arm harder. I looked at his hand in a bored way and shrugged.

"Of course I am, but I'd rather die than betray Harry and Dumbledore. This is wrong, even you know that." Draco swallowed and held my arm tighter. Tears were forming in his eyes.

"But how can you do that!?"

"Because," I looked deep within me, "because I'm a Gryffindor, damnit. Now please let go. If we arrive on time and keep our heads low maybe we'll both make it out of this." I yanked my arm out of Draco's grasp and sped up to catch up with Aunt Narcissa who had turned to watch us. She reached out and stroked my head, sliding her hand down a lock of hair she took between her fingers. She made an audible sniffing noise then turned away from Draco and I.

"Put your hoods up." We did as we were told and brought the hoods down to hide our faces. Lucius stepped through the gate as though it were smoke, grabbed Draco roughly then turned on the spot. Aunt Cissy reached out again, I went to take her hand but she caught a bit of silver that was exposed on my neck, she pulled the long chain of the Black family crest out of the top of my robes. She held the crest in her hand and rubbed over it with her thumb then dropped it so it hung in its usual place, low in the center of my chest.

"It looks beautiful on you, you shouldn't hide it tonight, though, it may win you some favor." She took my hand and we stepped through the gate together before apparating and being squeezed into nothingness.

We were in woods darker than the ones we left.

"Lumos," Lucius whispered and alluminated the four of us. He studied the stars for a moment then wordlessly led the way. Draco and I fell back once more.

"If I don't make it out of here, promise me you'll tell Ginny what happened, _everything_."

"Cass, please don't talk like that, I'm trying so hard not to vomit right now." I slipped my hand out of my cloak and gripped Draco's hand like a lifeline. He didn't say anything or pull away, we both needed this comfort. There was an eerie glowing coming from a clearing ahead just before Lucius put up his hand to stop us.

"Don't embarrass us," he hissed at Draco and I.

"Be careful and only speak when spoken to," Narcissa added giving Lucius an unseen mutinous look.

We stepped into the clearing and I gasped, loudly, but I wasn't alone, Draco's jaw dropped too. Before us sat a man, if you could even call him that. He was the size and shape of a man but his features were so serpentine I was sure I was still dreaming.

"My Lord!" Lucius and Narcissa bowed deeply as a circle of cloaked and masked figures crowded us. Blood red slit eyes caught mine and a new level of fear shot through me. I kept my composure and bowed as well, tugging at Draco's hand, which I realized I was still grasping. I watched as my aunt and uncle returned to their full height and I followed suit, once again signaling my shocked cousin.

"We brought our son, as you requested," Lucius continued. Draco moaned quietly and I squeezed his hand tighter. A disgustingly high malevolent voice responded, "but Lucius you seem to have brought another. A victim?" I stood tall.

"No!" Aunt Cissy shrieked. Lucius cut across her fluidly.

"No, my Lord, this is our neice. . . Bellatrix's daughter, Cassiopeia. Her grandmother urged us to bring her tonight. We hope this does not displease you."

"Bellatrix's?" You-Know-Who's eyes met mine once more with tangible interest. There were whispers and things like "Bellatrix had a child?" that moved around the circle of Death Eaters. This time Draco squeezed my hand. Whenever we had family parties or Grandmamma had guests over I was never introduced as the daughter of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, I was introduced as a distant relative with no family except Grandmamma who took me in. There were only seven people who knew I existed as the person I truly was. Two were in Azkaban, one was home in her estate, and the rest stood in the clearing with me, one with blood red eyes and a sadistic smile. You-Know-Who held up his hand to silence his followers.

"How can I be displeased Lucius?" You-Know-Who said with a humorless laugh. "Come forward, both of you." Once I made sure Draco was walking forward I let go of his hand. I felt odd being in front of a man that never knew love and a bunch of murderers while holding hands with my cousin. I considered proper etiquette that would help me live and settled with gathering my robes and kneeling before He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Draco joined me on the ground growing paler by the second.

"You will join me someday." It was neither question, nor suggestion. "Today, you have a choice to make: will you be loyal to me and serve me when I need you, or will you choose the wrong path and deny me? Draco, will you serve your Dark Lord?"

"Yes, my Lord." It was so quiet I wasn't sure I had even heard him but You-Know-Who seemed to have heard. I wanted to grab Draco's hand once more but refrained, as I considered what were sure to be my last few moments of life.

"Cassiopeia, will you serve your Dark Lord?" I could feel Draco stiffen by my side, I knew he was praying I wouldn't say what I said next.

"No."

"No?" He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did not scream or curse he just looked at me. "Perhaps you are not your mother's daughter, or perhaps I was mistaken when I heard you. Will you serve me?"

"No."

"Ah so I was not mistaken then." He flicked his wrist and my body burst into flames. I dropped onto the ground face-first. I writhed and screamed. Couldn't they see the fire? Wouldn't someone put it out? Every nerve in my body screamed and I did too. Tears slid down my face and then I realized there was no actual fire. I was having the cruciatus curse put on me. I clenched my jaw and twitched uncontrollably on the ground as the pain surged through my body. I should have known he wouldn't end it quickly.

"NO!" someone called out in the crowd, the voice seemed so far away, my will to fight ebbed away as I could hardly hear the laughs of the Death Eaters.

"Please my Lord she is just a child, she does not know, she does not know!" the voice pleaded, then the pain stopped and I laid gasping on the ground. Someone had put out the fire. Was it the person stroking my face?

"Narcissa!" another voice snapped.

"Narcissa, this will be the downfall of you," a third very high voice spoke, "but I shall hear you out, she is too young, as is Draco. I will ask them the question I asked them tonight before their seventeenth birthdays. That is my decision, now go!" There were many loud cracks and when I opened my eyes, Draco and Aunt Cissy were pulling me away from an empty clearing. Tears flowed freely from my eyes.

As I was returned to the estate manor, my uncle finally turned on me.

"That was some stunt you pulled out there! You did exactly what we told you not to do!" he got up in my face and shook me aggressively, hissing each syllable with more and more hate.

"Lucius! Stop it!" I saw Draco out of the corner of my eye form tight fists as Aunt Cissy pulled Lucius off of me. "Cassie you need rest, you too Draco. We're going to talk to Pandora." Draco went to protest but Aunt Cissy shot a look as sharp as a dagger in his direction and the two of us went upstairs to sleep.

"Cassie," Draco said softly as I was about to go up the second flight of steps.

"Yeah?"

"Could I maybe sleep on your couch? I don't want to be alone tonight," Draco said, the color returning to his cheeks. I looked at him suspiciously.

"Sure, but one thing worries me," I said continuing up the stairs.

"What?"

"Where your loyalties lie."

"We're very different people, we have different needs," Draco responded guardedly. But he was wrong, there was one need we had in common, a need for comfort. By the time we were both ready to go to sleep I ended up inviting Draco into my bed like when we were younger, and slept sounder than I had all night.

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**That last part as well as the hand holding was completely brother-sisterish/ platonic **

**Review!**

**Thanks (:**

**mayzie**


	8. Hold Me Close

**Sorry for the wait I've got serious writers' block.**

**I've added a bit to the middle of this chapter for those of you that already read this chapter  
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**I don't own anything Harry Potter-ish. (Well except my personal copies of the books)**

**_Daily Prophet_ headline and part from article are directly (except for the part in brackets) from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling pg. 544**

**one final note- everytime I thought about this chapter I couldn't stop thinking of the song "Hold Me Close" by the Scenic, check it out it's good. It doesn't fit perfectly but it kind of does.  
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"Cassie, do you know anything about Neville's parents?" I blinked a few times before looking over my shoulder in the direction of Ginny's bed, which was hidden by the night.

"They're not . . . well."

"Oh. Do you know why?" The way Ginny stated the question it seemed as though she was waiting for me to ask what she knew. I sighed deeply and shifted my position so I was lying on my other side and facing her.

"Are you about to tell me something you shouldn't?" Ginny's bed made a noise as she stood and crossed the short distance between our beds and then knelt down beside my bed so her face was inches from mine. The moonlight through the window landed on her face so I could see her press her lips together and nod with a sad look in her eyes. I strained my eyes to see the rest of her face that wasn't illuminated by the strip of moonlight. I waited for her to continue. Ginny bit her lip then turned and plopped down so that she was sitting on the floor with her head resting against my mattress just below my chin.

"When Harry, Ron, and I were going to get tea at St. Mungo's we got side-tracked and ended up in the Spell Damage Ward. We saw Neville there and his grandmother told us his parents were tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Ohissthatall?" I responded, slurring my speech with drowsiness. I rolled back over into my original position.

"Cassie!" Ginny whispered sternly. Suddenly I realized what had been said. I rolled back over quickly, too quickly. I rolled right off my bed on top of Ginny. We both squealed then immediately tried to stifle our giggles so we wouldn't wake our dorm mates. I moved off of Ginny and sat next to her with my back against the side of my bed. I turned to my best friend; the moonlight lit both of us up on the floor. I didn't say anything I just looked at her and she looked back. She seemed to be scanning me, trying to formulate the best way to ask the question that was bothering her.

"Are you sure you're not related to her?" Ginny stared right into my vulnerable soul. I swallowed hard and stared back, bravely.

"Yes." Ginny quirked up an eyebrow but nodded and pushed herself up silently. I battled with myself internally as she walked slowly back to her bed until I finally called to her, "No! My parents are Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange." I hung my head and grasped the Black pendant I had yet to take off. Ginny turned to look at me; I could see her now that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

"Okay." And with that she climbed into bed and shut the curtains.

We spent the first day after classes in the common room. Ginny and I had caught up on all of our assignments over break and were enjoying the conversation of the Gryffindors around the fire. I sat curled up on the couch between Neville, who had Crookshanks curled up on his lap, and Hermione, who was knitting more elf hats. Ginny sat where my feet would have been as I braided her hair. Dean was telling a joke and Seamus continued shooting Ron looks while he slumped over a paper he put off all holiday. Harry was absent from our evening because he was put into Remedial Potions, poor bloke. After everyone laughed at the punchline of Dean's joke Ron and Hermione decided to go to the library until Harry was done. After another half-hour Ginny yawned and got up to go upstairs. I don't know when Seamus and Dean went up to bed but all of sudden I was gently being shaken awake. I blinked away the sleepy haze and looked round at my surroundings. I had fallen asleep on Neville's shoulder and had a blanket draped over me. I smiled contently and leaned back onto Neville's warm shoulder.

"Cassie?" I opened my eyes again; I forgot he had shaken me to wake me up. "It's late, we must've both fallen asleep." I yawned, stretched, and nodded. I took the initiative to get up.

"G' night Cassie."

"'night Neville."

I didn't tell Ginny about what happened over the holidays. I didn't want to alarm her or come off as some kind of hero for my stupid defiance of You-Know-Who. I just wanted it to all go away. I had already told her about my parents and she accepted that I was nothing like them, I wasn't about to tell her I was hanging out with a bunch of death eaters and the Dark Lord himself. It was after I had gone up to my own bed and fallen back to sleep when I was awoken once more by Ginny.

"Cassie, are you okay?" In spite of myself tears were streaming down my face. I nodded and tried to hide the tears.

"Were you having a nightmare?" Rose Brown, our nosy dorm mate asked poking her head out of her bed hangings.

"You were screaming. A lot," said the other Gryffindor girl in our year, Clarissa Lark. She grinned as though she had just gotten the juiciest piece of gossip. Ginny gave her a dirty look then wiped the sweat off of my forehead.

"Do you want to see Madam Pomfrey?" she asked. I shook my head.

"No, it was just a dream." It was, this time, but I was reliving an actual moment. I had relived it every night after the night _it_ happened. This was the first time I had actually screamed. All I could do now was roll over and try to sleep again.

The next morning Ginny let me sleep in so I was running late to breakfast. Just as I left the bottom step of the large staircase in the Entrance Hall someone ran into me.

"Watch it!" We both said at the same time. I ended up on the ground and he stayed standing but a little off balanced. I adjusted my skirt immediately to make sure nothing had been exposed when the person who had run into me lifted me up.

"Sorry, Cassie." I saw a green and silver tie and white blond hair. I finally looked into the face of my cousin. I gasped audibly. He had dark purple rings under his bloodshot eyes, he was paler than usual and just looked all-around awful. He studied my face, which probably showed my feelings. He looked away quickly and mumbled, "I haven't slept much lately."

"Yeah, I haven't slept since …" I trailed off because he nodded and I knew that was the last night he had slept too. It was hard because the only solution I could come up with was to share a bed with Draco again, but now that we were back at school, as rivals and teenagers we could never get away with it. We awkwardly stepped away from each other then entered the Great Hall and went to our respective tables.

Hermione gasped and spread out the _Daily Prophet_. Ginny and I leaned around Ron and Harry to look at ten black and white Death Eaters scowling up at us. Ginny's hand flew up over her mouth and Harry looked pale. Hermione pointed to the headline and the four of us tore our attention from the photographs to the headline.

"**MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN: MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS 'RALLYING POINT' FOR OLD DEATH EATERS**"

Hermione told everyone to read the article but my eyes were still glued to the one witch on the page. I hadn't noticed until I started reading the names under the pictures and what those people were convicted for. Looking purely wild, with almost unrecognizable features was none other than my mother. Beside her picture was a picture of my father.

"_Bellatrix [and Rodolphus] Lestrange, convicted of the torture and permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom_," it said below their pictures. I made an odd choked noise between a gasp and a hiccup. I fell backwards off of the bench at the Gryffindor table, and scrambled to get off of the stone floor. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at me curiously but Ginny was quick to grab me and bring me to the nearest girls' bathroom. I sobbed and shook for the better part of breakfast with Ginny crouched beside me rubbing my back and offering me a roll of toilet paper. Ginny finally checked her watch and whistled. I knew class would be starting soon. Suddenly Ginny was pulling me up, adjusting my uniform, fussing over my hair, and wiping my face. She scrunched up her face and tilted her head as I still shook uncontrollably.

"You have to go see Madame Pomfrey, just so she can give you something to calm down, and I think I'll let McGonagall know what's happened."

"What? Why?" I asked reaching out to Ginny desperately as she started to leave.

"She'll know what to do." I stayed in Madame Pomfrey's office for the next few classes. She didn't think it was best for me to sob out in the open especially where Umbridge could stick her nose. She couldn't get many answers from me but when lunch should have been starting I resorted to staring blankly out of the window. I honestly half expected to see my mother appear at the window to get me for defying her master. That was why I jumped so violently when McGonagall entered the small office.

"Miss Lestrange," she said softer than I had ever heard. I turned in the chair by the window so I could look at her.

"Miss Weasley informed me of your situation and I've come to assure you that as long as you are within these walls nothing, and no one can harm you." I nodded. "Also, you have been excused from your afternoon lessons due to your state, I suggest you get some rest because that is all I can give you without alerting Professor Umbridge." I nodded once more.

"Thank you Professor McGonagall," I said somberly though I really was grateful. I made my way up to Gryffindor common room and stared at the fire until the other Gryffindors were in for the night.

That night I began dreading the idea of sleep not long after Ginny arrived from dinner. Those of us who did our homework gathered around the fire and I found myself dozing off on Neville once again. When I woke he was gone and only Harry and Ron remained in the common room, doing homework. I rubbed my eyes and went upstairs then fell right to sleep in my own bed. I woke up in a cold sweat what, based on my watch, was not long after I had gone to sleep. I looked around the room to see if anyone was stirring. Clearly I had not been screaming again, but I could not get the pain or the blood red color of _his_ eyes out of my head. I looked out the window to see a huge nearly full moon. It was convenient for me because I knew the corridors would be illuminated. I was always slightly afraid of the dark, though it rarely impeded me when I wanted to take midnight strolls around the castle. Usually I went to the kitchens and talked to the house elves while I relaxed with juice or hot chocolate, but tonight I needed something else, something I couldn't quite grasp. I wandered the corridors aimlessly. Listening close for the meow of Mrs. Norris, or the footfalls of a teacher. Tonight the castle was silent, even Peeves seemed to be sleeping. I wasn't sure how I ended up there, but suddenly I realized I was standing in front of a troll in a tutu. Without really thinking or expecting anything I spun around slowly to face the small welcoming door that wasn't there before. I cross the hall in a few strides and turned the knob.

The room of requirement looked different from how I usually saw it. The ceiling was low and the room seemed rather small and cozy. It reminded me slightly of the Gryffindor common room though more intimate because the only furniture was a single squashy couch in front of a roaring fire. A blanket appeared in the corner, which I immediately took before walking over to the couch. As I came around to the front of it I realized someone was sitting there. I jumped back when Neville turned to look at me.

"Cassie," he smiled. I clutched my heart, I had become so jumpy lately, but settled onto the couch next to Neville.

"I couldn't sleep," I sighed, answering the unasked question. He nodded and handed me a cup of tea.

"The house elves in the kitchen kept insisting I take two cups of tea, I couldn't imagine why. It's decaffeinated, though, so you won't have more problems going to sleep." All I could do was smile at Neville and his slight awkwardness. We sat listening to the crackle of the fire before Neville spoke again.

"Is there a reason you couldn't sleep? If you don't mind me asking?" I swirled my mug, watching the tea spin around and sink a little in the middle. I sat there quietly so long that Neville gave up and leaned back into the deep couch.

"Nightmares."

"What?"

"I was having nightmares about You-Know-Who." Neville stayed quiet, I could tell he wanted me to continue. I wanted me to continue. I had wanted to tell someone for so long.

"It's all so real, so terrible. The day after Christmas I saw _him_. _Really saw him_." Neville shivered beside me but kept quiet.

"Draco Malfoy is my cousin, you know that, Ginny told everyone on the train that day. Well, Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa are," my eyes started to fill with tears, I wondered if Neville noticed, "D-d-death Eaters. And the day after Christmas, they took Draco and I to see _him_." Neville dropped his mug, which shattered into pieces on the floor. The remaining tea and mug shards suddenly disappeared into the floor. We both stared at the floor for a bit before Neville turned to me. I hadn't realized it but I was curled up in a ball in the corner of the couch. It was so deep there was still quite a bit of room for me to stretch out my legs. Neville sat all the way back in the couch and his long legs barely reached the ground. He took one of my arms and pulled it away from the safety hold I had on myself. He unraveled me and before I knew it his arms were wrapped around me and I was all but lying on top of him. He slid his fingers through my hair comfortingly.

"Tell me what happened," he whispered. He wasn't asking me to tell him, he was telling me to. He seemed to know that this was good for me.

"He asked me and Draco if we would serve him when our time came." Neville's breath caught in his chest, I felt a curious surge of narcissism when I finished.

"I told him 'no', and then he tortured me."

"You said 'no' to You-Know-Who?" Neville said in an awed voice and I nodded into his chest.

"It was like nothing I've ever experienced, the cruciatus curse." The silence this time seemed to stretch on forever. Once it came out of my mouth I regretted it, knowing about what had happened to Neville's parents. Neville continued to stroke my hair as the fire died. And for the first time in nights I had a dreamless sleep.

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**mayzie**


	9. Change In Character

**This chapter's pretty short, I'm hoping to update more often though.**

**I'm still not JK Rowling, I hope you enjoy anyway.**

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"Blaise," I sighed at the handsome dark Slytherin whose arm was blocking my way out of the Potions corridor.

"Just one date Cass, I need a pureblood girl for Mum and Dad."

"Then find someone else," I growled as I wrapped my fingers around his arm and tried to force him out of my path. He wasn't budging.

"Zabini, people like you are the reason I wish my blood wasn't pure, and quite frankly I think _you're_ the ones that're a disgrace to wizards." Now it was Blaise who had his hand wrapped around my arm, I tried to pull away but he just held tighter.

"Seriously," I continued through clenched teeth while struggling with Blaise who now had me trapped against a wall, "keep treating me like you own me and you'll _really_ turn me off!"

"Its time to teach you some pureblood manners," Blaise whispered in my ear in a way that was all too harsh. He released one of my hands and raised his own, I knew he would hit me but I didn't cower, I'd take it like a Gryffindor. But instead of slapping me he entwined his fingers in my hair and smashed his lips against mine. Naturally, I freaked out. With the one hand that wasn't pinned to the wall I started hitting Blaise and tried to push him off. I pressed my lips closed so hard it hurt as he attempted to pry them open with his tongue, bleh. Tears of frustration were streaming down my cheeks when I heard someone approaching, Blaise didn't stop his attack.

"Oh God," I heard a sneering voice, I wrenched my eyes open. There stood my cocky cousin Draco, Blaise's friend. I let out a squeal as I persisted to push Blaise to no avail. Draco laughed, "A Gryffindor? Really Blaise you don't know where that's been, put it back." Then his eyes bulged in a way that reminded me of a house elf.

"Blaise that's my cousin you're snogging!" Blaise pulled away and I breathed for the first time.

"I'm teaching her a lesson," Blaise said before returning to said "lesson." Draco's face contorted in an odd sort of way then relaxed a split second later, if I hadn't been staring my cousin down with pleading eyes while still beating Blaise I wouldn't have seen it.

"Can't you tell she doesn't want you?" Draco said in a bored voice. I knew Draco tried to cover it up by teasing Blaise, but he was actually trying to help me. But Blaise would not stop, it was so awkward, the entire outside of my mouth was wet. Then all of a sudden a wand flew against the wall, a wand I recognized as Draco's. The next thing I knew a well-aimed jet of red light hit Blaise right in the side of the head and knocked him out.

With dueling speed I whipped my wand out and without thinking yelled, "STUPEFY!" at my cousin and he dropped to the ground. Then I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and looked around to see my savior. Neville Longbottom stood about ten feet away looking shocked, wand raised.

"Merlin's pants, Neville!" I leapt into his arms, "My hero!" I kissed Neville on the cheek. He stumbled back a bit and held me as his ears turned bright red. Suddenly Fred and George came bounding around the corner out of breath.

"We," _pant_, "heard screaming," _pant_.

"And," _pant_, "came," _pant_, "as quick as we could!" _pant_. Suddenly Fred looked at me wrapped around the usually awkward Neville, then to the two Slytherins knocked out on the floor.

"Alright?" I nodded and Neville gulped then nodded too. George kicked Draco, "Who got this git?"

"Cassie did," Neville said, speaking for the first time in a while.

"But Neville got Zabini and disarmed Draco first," I pulled myself away from the once round now gangly Neville and looked up at him like he had just saved me from a dragon.

"Way to go Neville! Wait until we tell the D.A.," Fred said slapping Neville on the back. I grinned proudly at Neville as George shot ropes out of his wand, tying Blaise and Draco together.

"Wha-" I started but Fred suddenly joined his twin and attached a note of parchment to the captives.

_To Delores Umbridge_

_Love,_

_Dumbledore's Army_

We all laughed as Fred and George levitated the boys in front of the entrance to the Slytherin common room. I looked at Blaise and Draco tied up on the stone floor with a twinge of guilt. Draco would not be happy about this. Maybe this wasn't the smartest idea, but hey you only live once. Neville awkwardly rubbed his neck and gestured to me to take the lead. Fred and George continued down the hall to do Merlin knows what while Neville and I took the stairs to lunch.

We hadn't discussed the night we had fallen asleep in the Room of Requirement, and maybe we never would, but I mustered all my courage to grip Neville's hand, and he didn't pull away. No one noticed or seemed to care, except my roommate Rose and her gossipy older sister Lavender, but no one really pays attention to them anyway. I knew Neville's newly found bravery and intensity in recent D.A. meetings had everything to do with the escape of his parents' torturers. What made Neville strong made me weak. Sometimes I was disgusted at how moody I had gotten, finding it hard to really enjoy moments with Ginny as much as I used to. I credited that to my lack of sleep and prayed that that was all it was. When I was with Neville, though, I felt a little more like my old self.

"Okay," Harry said putting up his hands to stop us, "now we're going to try the Shield Charm. This will rebound your spell back onto you, so nothing too rough because if the Shield charm is done correctly your jinx will affect you instead of your partner." Harry taught us what to do and we all separated back into our partnerships. Of course Hermione got it right away. Neville's jinxes were getting increasingly stronger. I started off commending him but after a few more tries I was worn out.

"Could you cool it a little?" Neville still wouldn't speak at the D.A. meetings but I knew he heard me. It was my turn once more to try out the Sheild Charm. This time Neville brandished his wand a little too hard. Whether or not it was intentional, which looking back I can say it probably wasn't, I was left with a bleeding lip against the far wall. I bared my teeth and without a thought in my mind other than _attack_ I did some ostentatious movement with my wand and the next thing I knew I was on fire, not literally or like they way I had been in the clearing that night with the Malfoy's, but my skin was burned and red. I stared down at my bare and raw arms then up at Neville whose wand was raised confidently in front of him. Hermione was right at my side and grabbed my arms.

"What happened?" Harry asked testily. I just gaped at everyone gaping at me. Hermione said some spell and the burning on my arms went away, leaving a slight itch. I rubbed my arms.

"I-I-I-"

"You can't lose control like that!" Harry meant to yell but it came out more like a kind father teaching a valuable lesson. I hung my head and apologized to Harry and Neville.

"I don't know what happened, I just got really angry all of a sudden, and then," I held up my arms even though the proof was gone.

"I used the Shield Charm," Neville spoke up from across the room. "Whatever Cassie meant to send at me must have rebounded back to her."

"Well, I didn't mean-"

"Great work Neville!" Harry said walking over and clapping him on the back. Everyone awkwardly went back to their spell work but Hermione stayed at my side.

"I feel awful," I whispered to Hermione, turning away from everyone else.

"It's okay you just lost your temper, Harry's been snappy since the summer." I smiled weakly at her. "Besides," she continued quietly, "it was just a stinging charm, nothing too bad."

"I don't even know how to do a stinging charm, what if I had done something worse!" I said as Hermione walked away. Ginny gave me a concerned look but went back to practicing with Michael. I walked over to Neville. He rubbed his neck then ran his hand through his hair, ending at his forehead. I took the Black family crest in my hand and slid it back and forth on the long chain nervously.

"I'm sorry Cassie, you told me to calm down and I didn't, I shouldn't have provoked you."

"Provoked or not, I shouldn't have snapped, I could've really hurt you. That's the kind of behavior you'd expect of a Death Eater, but not me. I'm sorry." He pulled me into a hug and said something about both of us needing to relax.

"I just- ever since- I just want to be good, you know?" I nodded because I knew more than he thought.

"Try me again," I said playfully, while stepping backwards. I braced myself and when he yelled the tarantellegra jinx I was ready. I watched as Neville began to dance and I laughed whole-heartedly as he smiled and laughed too.

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**mayzie**


	10. The Interview

**I don't own Harry Potter, I'm not cool enough.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**I changed the kiss part, I didn't like how it was before, I didn't feel it was true enough to the characters.  
**

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"Hey Luna!" I ran down the hallway when I spotted Luna. She waved and waited for me to reach her before she continued walking with me at her side.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" she asked in her usual dreamy voice.

"I dunno, Ginny has Quidditch practice all day, and it's Valentine's Day. I was just going to stay here," I said lamely.

"Well Hermione and I will be going down. Would you like to join us?"

"Yeah, sure. I'd love to!" I hooked arms with Luna and we walked to the library together to work on our Charms essays.

I had gotten halfway through my essay when I couldn't concentrate any longer. I observed Luna who was writing feverishly with her tongue stuck out and her wand behind her ear. I smiled to myself as I twirled my wand lazily between my fingers.

"When do you reckon Harry'll teach us how to do patronuses?" Luna focused her huge eyes on me, something that had stopped bothering me in third year.

"I dunno. I wonder what my patronus would be? Perhaps a Crumple-horned Snorkack." I made a noncommittal noise of agreement and we sat in silent thought for a while. Just as I was about to return to my essay someone cleared their throat in front of us. We both looked up at the same time.

"Er, Luna do you mind if I borrow Cassie?"

"As long as you promise to return her."

"I will," Neville smiled, trying not to laugh. I stood up and pushed my chair in then followed Neville to a secluded corner of the library.

"So, tomorrow's a Hogsmeade trip," Neville said not looking at me and shifting from foot to foot.

"Yeah, I'm going down with Hermione and Luna."

"Oh. Well, I was wondering if erm-" I looked up at him expectantly. I thought I knew what was coming but tried to repress my smile and ignore the butterflies in my stomach. "Well I was wondering if you'd fancy going out to lunch with me?" A huge grin broke across my face and I felt a sudden blush forming on my cheeks.

"I would love to! I mean er, that sounds lovely," I said trying to compose myself but Neville and I were stuck grinning stupidly at each other.

"Well, alright then, do you want to meet at the Three Broomsticks around twelve?" I nodded then went back to Luna and told her everything.

"Just watch out for Cupid, Daddy knows a man that got hit with his arrow on Valentine's Day- it's extra powerful that day you see- and he's still in love with that tree!" I smiled and tried to tell Luna I'd watch out as genuinely as possible.

The next morning I joined Hermione and Luna in the Entrance Hall and we walked down to Hogsmeade together. Every store front was plastered with scowling photos of the escaped Death Eaters. I kept trying to avert my eyes but it was becoming more and more difficult with each store we entered. We ran into Fred and George who were trying to sell their Headless Hats to the Zonko's owner. When they finally gave up Lee Jordan pointed to another poster of the Death Eaters.

"Must be tough having the same last name as those lunatics," he said shaking his head.

"Yeah, but at least you're not related to them, that would be awful," said Fred's disembodied voice from behind George. I realized that Fred was standing behing George but he had on one of the Headless Hats, which was why I hadn't seen him at first. Fred's arm came up and pulled off the hat.

"Why he wouldn't want to sell these is beyond me!" said George holding up the rest of the hats.

"They really are quite clever," Hermione said quietly, but not so quietly that Fred and George missed her statement. We all looked round at her.

"My, my Miss Granger," Fred began.

"Starting to change your mind about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" George finished. Hermione shrugged. As we left Zonko's, Hermione put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me under an awning to stay out of the rain.

"If they're your parents, Cass, you know it won't make a difference to me."

"Who? The Lestrange's? Well it's not like you're anything like them," Luna said matter-of-factly. I looked at Luna who was watching the rain fall then at Hermione who was looking back intently.

"They are, but please don't tell anyone! The only other people who know are Draco and Ginny." Hermione suddenly pulled me into a tight hug and Luna watched with a smile.

"Now let's go to the pub, Luna and I have someone to meet." Hermione led the way down the street to the Three Broomsticks.

A bitter looking Rita Skeeter, former journalist for the _Daily Prophet_, met us not long after our arrival in the Three Broomsticks.

"Hello," Rita stuck out a hand, "Don't believe I know who you are."

"Erm Cassie."

"Oh, you're quite pretty. Are you _friends_ with Harry too?" Hermione shot Rita a warning look and I decided not to answer at all. We sat awkwardly in silence while Rita worked her way through two glasses of Fire Whiskey until Harry arrived. They were going to have Rita interview Harry. I don't know what Hermione had on Rita but it seemed like Rita would do the interview whether or not she wanted to. I looked at my watch to see it was almost twelve.

"Well, this was, er, lovely, but I've got to go meet Neville. See you!" Luna smiled distantly and Hermione smiled knowingly. Harry just kept looking slightly harassed. Rita didn't seem to care at all. I searched the pub for Neville who I realized was sitting alone in a booth across the room. He was ringing his hands and looking nervous. I smiled knowing I had done that. I approached slowly.

"Hey."

"Hi Cassie!" Neville stood up until I took my own seat. What a gentleman. We chatted comfortably for the rest of the afternoon and enjoyed some fish and chips. All I could think was _oh no now I'll have fish breath!_

"Can you just excuse me really quick?" Neville nodded and I slid out of the booth and hurried over to Hermione as fast as I could, but the pub was crowded. I knelt down beside her and asked if she had a mint. She cocked her eyebrow and I knew she was looking over at Neville.

"Looks like he had the same idea, here you go." I took the mints and looked over my shoulder quickly to see Neville pop two mints into his mouth. I laughed then did the same.

"Thanks, you're a life saver!" I ran back to the booth and slid back in before Neville got the chance to stand up again. I placed my hands on the table and couldn't help but smile when Neville took the hint and held my hands. We looked away from each other blushing. But when we looked back at each other we locked our gazes.

"Cassiopeia, I really, really like you." I blushed at the use of my full name. My cheeks were starting to hurt from all my smiling.

"I really, really like you too Neville." His ears turned bright red and I knew what was on his mind because it was on mine too. The awkward silence stretched on for what felt like forever. I was fighting with myself internally. I wanted to kiss Neville, and I knew he still wasn't brave enough to just... go for it. But then again, neither was I. I opened my mouth to speak, then changed my mind and leaned in quick to kiss Neville on the lips.

"YES!" Neville and I broke apart to see Hermione standing across the room with a victorious fist in the air. Everyone around stopped to look at her. She blushed, waved awkwardly at us, then moved that hand up through her hair to hide her wave, and sat down quickly. I could hear Luna's bell-like laugh from our booth. Neville and I turned to face each other again. Our hands were still intertwined and we were still leaning into each other. At the exact same moment we laughed. Hard. I found it hard to stop and Neville exclaimed, "My face hurt from laughing so much!"

"Maybe we should call it a day," and with that Neville left money on the table (he refused to let me pay, yet again, such a gentleman) and we returned to the castle.

Harry's interview in Luna's dad's newspaper _The Quibbler_ spread like wildfire. That fact that Umbridge banned it made everyone want to read it more. Everywhere you went students were talking about it in hushed voices, and most of those people seemed to finally believe Harry. I believed him from the second Dumbledore talked to us last year. Especially because once I got home Grandmamma would not stop talking about it and how much better everything would be.

"Soon you won't have to share Hogwarts with blood traitors, mudbloods, and half breeds!" And Uncle Lucius was terrible at being subtle. He would often discuss business trips he and Aunt Narcissa would both have to go on, even though Aunt Cissy never worked a day in her life, over dinner, all the while rubbing his left forearm. Growing up they had basically given it up, staying friends with those that were not thrown into Azkaban, and lying low. They hinted at the power they once wielded, but neither I nor Draco had really known much about their pasts until fairly recently.

I was about to enter the Great Hall the day after Educational Decree Twenty-seven put the ban on _The Quibbler_ when I was dragged off to the side behind the main staircase.

"Have you read it?" Draco practically growled through clenched teeth.

"Didn't have to, you and I already know what that story was released to tell," I said abrasively. I jerked away from his aggressive restraint on my shoulder.

"He gave my father's name as a Death Eater!" Draco was staring into my eyes. That vulnerable comforting cousin I had known two months ago was gone. He was treating me like I was Harry.

"Well he is."

"Don't you understand what this can do to my parents?"

"Do you?" I spat back. Draco looked at me dumbly. I rolled my eyes and continued, "Do you honestly think a single person in the Ministry doesn't know your father is a Death Eater? Everyone's just kept their mouths shut because they know your father has more power in his little finger than Fudge has in his whole body! And since they're still not accepting Harry's story, the things that were said in Harry's interview won't even be given a second look. Now please let go of me, you're hurting me." I jerked away again and stalked off to the Great Hall, leaving Draco scowling.

"You know I really didn't like that little stunt you pulled! I didn't tell Umbridge this time, but don't expect me to do you anymore favors!"

"Good! Don't expect me to do _you_ anymore favors!" I grabbed the Black family crest swinging from my neck and gripped it tightly as I stomped away.

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	11. Busted

**Okay this chapter's really long and took me forever to write, but here it is!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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"I can't believe that just happened!" I said pulling my uniform shoes off.

"I know, I thought she was wonderful! Lavender agrees with me," Rose said. She still had tears in her eyes. Clarissa nodded and dabbed at her own moist eyes.

"Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhh," I avoided looking at them as I searched for my pajamas.

"But McGonagall never cared much for her," Rose and Clarissa scoffed but Ginny continued on, "I always knew she had a heart. And that really was nice of Dumbledore to let Trelawney stay." This time we all agreed.

"That Umbridge woman has got to go!" Clarissa finally said as she threw her long black hair into a messy braid. Rose made a noise of agreement before pulling her sleeping mask on over her eyes and shutting her curtains.

"It's alright though, she'll be gone by next year," Ginny said when her head emerged from the opening in her giant Holyhead Harpies tee shirt.

"How do _you _know that?" Clarissa asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Because no Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher ever stays more than a year," I answered for Ginny.

"First year he lost his memory, second year he got sacked for being a werewolf, third year he ended up being a Death Eater," I said ticking them off on my fingers.

"I heard the year before we came the teacher died!" Clarissa threw in.

"Oh yeah! I forgot about him, Quirrel, I think his name was," Ginny said.

"He was in cahoots with You-Know-Who too," I stated.

"Hm I guess you're right, Ginny," Clarissa said as she climbed into bed.

"Course she is!" I said climbing into my own bed.

"Like I said," Ginny continued with a yawn, "this time next year we'll have a different teacher. Though, eventually they'll run out of new people to teach us." And with that we all drifted off to sleep.

I rolled over for what felt like the thousandth time that night before falling asleep again. Those red eyes were burned into the backs of my eyelids. It was getting better; at least I was sleeping now. Before I was lying in bed only sleeping long enough to relive that night in the clearing and spend the rest of the night awake, staring at the top of my bed. The next time I awoke that night it was from a different dream. Draco and I were walking through the woods, it was nighttime, but it didn't have that same foreboding feeling I got when I walked through the woods to You-Know-Who in my usual dreams. We weren't talking but I felt as though Draco was mad at me. We finally stopped at the top of a cliff. Draco looked at me sadly, grasped my hands, kissed my forehead, then threw me off the cliff. I woke up before I hit the bottom. I threw my blankets off me, practically tore the hangings off of my bed and started pacing the room. Usually my dreams made sense, or came from something that had happened. I couldn't make heads or tails of that dream, and for some reason after months of dreaming about no one but He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the dream with Draco was the straw that broke the camel's back. I put on the pink fuzzy slippers Rose had gotten all the girls in our dorm for Christmas and a dressing gown then exited the room quietly. I paced the common room once or twice, considering if I would get in trouble for this. I decided it didn't even matter anymore, I needed to sleep and there was no way I could share a bed with Neville or Draco again. With one last sigh I climbed out of the portrait hole and headed towards the hospital wing.

"Cassie! What are you doing out of bed at this hour?" Madame Pomfrey scolded. Poppy and I go way back to my second year when I got a wicked case of the dragon pox. I spent over a month in the hospital wing, and she bestowed upon me the kind of sympathy Grandmamma never would have bothered with. I was a rare case at the school, any other parent would want their child home if they were that sick. I put on my best sad face and even managed to conjure up some tears to well up in my eyes.

"I've been having terrible nightmares since Christmas, I haven't slept at all these past two months." Madame Pomfrey was quick to fret over me. She decided it was too late to get the root of the nightmares tonight and gave me an entire bottle of Dreamless Sleep potion.

"Take two teaspoonfuls just as you're getting into bed, that should do the trick. You know, Draco Malfoy- a fifth year, do you know him? - just came to me yesterday with the same complaint, he said the potion worked well though. I do hope you get some sleep, dear." I smiled and gave her a quick salute as she handed me a piece of parchment allowing me to be out of bed after hours, before I returned to Gryffindor.

I slipped back into bed and took the required amount of Dreamless Sleep potion. I never stood a chance, the next thing I knew it was morning and I had never felt more rested in all my life.

I had to go to Divination with Clarissa and Rose because Ginny had taken a stance against it just like Hermione. We had to find the new classroom Divination was being taught in, but when we walked in I wasn't sure it was a classroom at all. It looked as though we were standing in the Forbidden Forest. By the end of the class all I really learned was that centaurs were very proud creatures with a superiority complex and nothing is etched in stone. This class was going to be easy because if we weren't seeing what Firenze said we should he attributed it to our inexperienced human eyes.

"What do you reckon Firenze meant about us being between two wars?"

"Isn't it clear? It has to do with Harry!" I continued walking ahead trying to ignore Rose and Clarissa's loud whispered comments on the way to Potions. Obviously it had to do with Harry; maybe they weren't as dense as I had always thought.

I sat beside Ginny and grinded my teeth at all of Snape's snide comments just waiting for the assignment. We went about silently but once everyone slipped into their own quiet conversations Ginny asked, "So how was Divination?" Colin and I discussed with Ginny how Divination was still as much of a waste of time as before, but at least now we weren't marked off for not seeing.

"I mean hey, we're only human." Colin laughed at my joke, but Ginny didn't really get it. We went back to not really talking, which is what allowed me to hear the conversation of the Slytherin girls at the next table over.

"Poor Draco Malfoy, he says he hasn't been getting much sleep," the dirty blond, Elle, cooed.

"Well I hear he's been shagging Parkinson to fix that!" the second, Tricia snickered.

"Oh don't say that!" Elle said sadly.

"Ugh!" I threw the next ingredient into my cauldron a little too hard causing some of the potion to splash out and burn a small hole in Colin's notebook. Ginny and I laughed but she gave me an odd look.

"Do you hear them? Draco hates Pansy! It can't be true!"

"Why do you care?" I shrugged it off and said, "I don't." But I did. No one was worse than Parkinson, and I knew Draco _did_ hate her. If what Tricia said _was_ true I'd be very disappointed in Draco, and somewhat disgusted. But we weren't exactly on speaking terms anymore, which hurt me more than that dumb rumor.

"Okay your turn," whispered Ginny. We sat crossed legged on my bed facing each other with the curtains drawn around us.

"Alright," I sighed, then I scrunched up my face very typically as I concentrated. I didn't concentrate on a specific memory as much as a specific feeling. I could feel my insides swell and my stomach flutter, a huge grin stretched across my face.

"_Expecto Patronum_," I whispered with some force. All of a sudden a great glowing wolf with pure white fur erupted from my wand and sat itself on its haunches right between Ginny and me. Ginny jumped back and despite our efforts to not wake our roommates she let out a squeal.

"You did it Cassie! Oh Merlin! What is that like an arctic wolf? Oh it's so clear, ugh I'm jealous, what memory did you use?" Ginny rambled as I shoved my head out of the curtains to make sure no one was stirring. The glowing wolf blinked its huge gray eyes at me once then disappeared leaving the two of us staring at the spot where my patronus had sat.

"Now I really need to get a full bodied patronus so Harry doesn't gush all over you," Ginny sighed.

"Yeah, I'll just half-arse my patronus 'til you get it down and then maybe knock out Cho Chang while I'm at it," my best friend and I laughed and decided it was time to give our D.A. practice a rest.

"G'night," Ginny yawned as she slid back into her own bed.

"Night, and don't think about Harry too much tonight, you talk really loud in your sleep. 'Oh Harry! I would love to go on a broomstick ride with you!'" I grinned just before Ginny threw a pillow at my face. I shut the hangings around my bed after tossing Ginny's pillow back. I thought of sleeping in Neville's arms once more and flicked my wand allowing the furry wolf to curl itself around me and rest its head on its massive paws. I reached out to pet its soft head but it was like trying to pet smoke. I sighed and fell asleep with its warm glow enveloping me.

"Can anyone tell me what an animagus is?" McGonagall asked the morning after I had discovered what my patronus was. I couldn't focus at all because I had this weird bubbly, overjoyed feeling from nailing such a difficult spell. I spaced out and twirled my wand in my fingers it wasn't until maybe ten minutes later when my attention was brought back to class.

"Cassie, what is that you're doing?" I looked lazily over to Luna who I shared a desk with. I had no idea what she was talking about, I wasn't even sure if I had been awake all of class.

"Miss Lestrange!" My head snapped to the front to McGonagall who had definitely been a cat just moments before. "What in Merlin's name did you transfigure into _that_?" She pointed almost disgustedly at the space on the other side of me. I turned away from Luna and looked at where I assumed would be just my backpack. I was actually nose-to-nose with a rather solid white wolf. It huffed hot air in my face and my jaw dropped as it let its tongue loll out of the side of its long snout. Figures McGonagall wouldn't be happy, _cat people_.

"That's my patronus Professor," I said as dumbstruck as her. Ginny started shaking her head vigorously at the next table over. McGonagall didn't say anything. She checked her watch and said, "Class dismissed. Miss Lestrange, my office?" There was a chorus of ooooo's when I grabbed my backpack and pushed in my chair as Luna whispered she'd see me tonight at the D.A. It didn't even occur to me to dismiss my patronus, so I walked into McGonagall's office, wand in hand, with a large wolf at the hem of my robes.

"Miss Lestrange this cannot be your patronus, _look at it_, that is a _real_ wolf. Who taught you this?" The wolf sat itself in front of me but slightly to my left. Its head rose up above my hip and its tail wrapped around behind my feet, I could just feel its warmth radiating off of it. It rolled its head back as though getting ready to howl but instead fixed its gaze on me.

"I taught myself…to do a patronus. If that's not what this is then I don't know what I did." I couldn't help but look at the wolf. Its fur, so white I couldn't tell whether or not it was actually glowing, was nearly the same color as my hair and its eyes were precisely the same shade of dark gray as mine. I had the urge to pet it again. Its fur looked so soft that I was completely expecting to feel it but once again my hand went straight through it and the whole animal disappeared like smoke. I heard McGonagall gasp from behind her desk. I pocketed my wand before tearing my gaze away from where my wolf had been to look at her.

"I have _never_, in all my years, seen or heard of a patronus acting in such a way. It was so strong and you are so young. Up until now I didn't even think you were all that good at magic." I made to object but shut my mouth. McGonagall looked absolutely lost. She came back around her desk and took my hand and patted it.

"Best not to let on that you can do…that. _Professor_ Umbridge may ask a lot of questions I'm sure you wouldn't want to answer."

"But what about all the people in class who saw?" I questioned.

"Oh it's not the _Gryffindors_ and _Ravenclaws_ you have to worry about, now off to class, I'll write you a note." The fact that McGonagall just implied that Slytherins (surely not Hufflepuffs, they just weren't in that class with us) couldn't be trusted made me smile. I decided it best to be a little more careful with my wand from then on.

"Harry, guess what Cassie did in McGonagall's class today!" Michael Corner called once the door to the Room of Requirement shut behind him, Luna, Ginny, and me. Harry who had been talking to Neville looked up expectantly.

"She made a full-bodied patronus!"

"It looked quite real," Luna added as she glided over to a stack of pillows to sit on.

"Really?" asked Harry, who looked extremely delighted. He clasped a hand on my back. "What was it? Would you like to show everyone?" It was then that I realized that we had been the last of the D.A. to arrive and that Seamus Finnegan was a new member.

"I, erm, sure." Neville nodded in encouragement and smiled with thumbs up. I grinned back and waved my wand the way Harry had taught us, "Expecto Patronum!" The white wolf leapt out of my wand and trotted a circle around me before sitting itself at my side. It once again looked absolutely real, pink tongue hanging out over its teeth, gray eyes staring up at me. But in the dim light of the room I could see that it was in fact glowing.

Harry bent over so he was even with my wolf. It licked his face and at the contact disappeared. Harry laughed.

"Curious, I've never seen a patronus that wasn't all silver. Your memory must be really strong." I couldn't take my eyes off of Neville I could see he was blushing and I could tell I was too. He knew. Ginny stepped up, "I can do it too, er maybe not _that_ good. But I can." I looked at Ginny but she wouldn't look at me. Harry put his hand on her shoulder and she smiled. I immediately knew what was coming.

"Expecto Patronum!" A silver horse galloped through the air before landing on the stone floor and silently continuing its gallop around the room. People tried to move out of the way but those that didn't make it the patronus just ran through like a ghost. My patronus couldn't even be touched. I didn't want the attention but now that Ginny had stolen it away from me I couldn't help but feel jealous. We continued practicing our patronuses and only Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and I had full-bodied patronuses we could conjure more than once. Neville was having a tough time and I was trying to help him come up with happy memories without directly telling him to think about me. All of a sudden the door to the room flew open we were all alarmed because everyone was here except Marietta. I didn't see who it was until a little house elf, who seemed to get all of Hermione's knit hats, was giving us warnings. Umbridge was coming, someone had told. Harry looked back at all of us and our scared faces.

"Well don't just look at me! RUN!" We all took a millisecond to look at each other before running full speed for the door. Ginny caught up with me and screamed "We'll never make it to Gryffindor!" I grabbed her hand and led her in the opposite direction. "Library! Library! It's still early!" I looked around, Neville was standing looking lost in the corridor and I could hear people coming towards us from the opposite direction.

"Neville!" I scream-whispered. I waved at Ginny telling her to keep going before I grabbed Neville and shoved him in the boys' bathroom just down the hall. This left me out of breath and alone panting just around the corner from the Room of Requirement.

"Well, well, well, how far the mighty have fallen." Draco sneered as he rounded the corner, wand pointed at my throat.

"Oh Draco! Fancy seeing you all the way up here on my evening run," I said casually while doing some false stretches. I pressed my palms against the cold stone and leaned forward to stretch my calves when Draco grabbed my wrist and dragged me down the corridor.

"I'm bringing you to Umbridge. We already caught your precious Potter." He spat out Harry's name and I just knew I couldn't get away with this.

"But," _pant_, "I haven't," _pant_, "done anything wrong!" I said trying to free myself from Draco's grip but his hand was able to wrap completely around my thin wrist.

"I'm tired of taking your shit and covering for you, we're done, Cassie." I didn't know what to say so I just walked behind him going over the words in my mind. What did I do to deserve this? If this was about the night with You-Know-Who, I just couldn't understand. Right afterwards we had needed each other, then we get back to Hogwarts and Draco hates me more than ever.

We stopped in front of a statue that fit the description Harry had once given me.

"You're taking me to Dumbledore?!" Draco grinned maliciously at me. That was when the statue leapt aside, revealing a spiral staircase down which came Umbridge, the Minister of Magic, Professor McGonagall, a huge black man with an earring, a shorter man with gray wiry hair, a guilty looking Ravenclaw, and Harry.

"Alright Miss Edgecomb, go down to the Hospital Wing to get those boils taken care of," said a red-faced Umbridge. Marietta turned to me long enough to squeak and run away towards the infirmary. I looked to Harry and the men I assumed were aurors who all looked terribly shocked, then to McGonagall. She had her lips pursed and looked extremely perturbed, then quickly mouthed, "Don't say anything," before returning to her sullen look. Draco looked pleased as Umbridge turned to him.

"What have you got for me, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco raised my wrist as if I were a trophy to flaunt.

"Just like you said Professor, she was out of breath not far from the room."

"Wonderful," Umbridge said rubbing her fat hands together. Harry looked guilty and McGonagall looked scared. I finally succeeded in tearing my arm from Draco's grasp. I gave Harry a wink when I knew Fudge and Umbridge weren't looking.

"I was out on my evening run professor."

"In your uniform?" Umbridge asked, eyes bugging out of her head, as if she had expected me to confess everything.

"Well you required that we wear it properly at all times," I said smiling innocently.

"You are out after hours, Miss Lestrange!" I checked my watch.

"Fourth year curfew isn't for another _hour_," I responded condescendingly. Oh I was going to get it. "If you are going to charge me unjustly, _Professor_, then I demand to speak to _Headmaster_ Dumbledore." The Minister laughed and then said rather happily, "Dumbledore's gone, little girl, and Professor Umbridge is the new Headmistress. Just signed the order myself." I laughed nervously.

"Wait- what?!" Draco and I said together. Draco was smiling, I was not. Neither were Harry, McGonagall, and one of the aurors.

"Yes, and I have proof that you were part of an anti-Ministry renegade group called 'Dumbledore's Army.' Am I mistaken?" Umbridge asked bitingly.

"Yes." Umbridge smiled. "You are mistaken." Her faced dropped into an amused grimace.

"How so Miss Lestrange?" That was just what I needed, a mention of my name in front of the Minister.

"Do you know who I am?!" I shouted. "I am Cassiopeia Lestrange! I come from the most revered Pureblood lines in Europe! And do you see this?" I swung the black family pendent in front of her fat face, "It means I was raised to know that magic is might! How dare you accuse me of fraternizing with the likes of Potter and Dumbledore? I may be in Gryffindor but my loyalties will always lie with those of Slytherin!" McGonagall's eyebrows shot straight up to her hairline along with Draco's. Harry tried to look offended but he was also trying not to smile. The result was a pained looking grimace. Fudge looked scared but Umbridge was unconvinced. Umbridge grabbed my collarbone surprisingly hard and wheeled me around to face the statue that was once again hiding the staircase.

"Goodnight, Minister. If you don't mind I have business to attend to. Minerva, you may deal with Potter tonight, Mr. Malfoy, follow." Everyone dispersed when suddenly several other Slytherins, all of which looked quite menacing, joined us. Umbridge smiled with a curt nod and offered the statue a password. It refused to budge. She offered it again and again as well as several other kinds of candy names, but nothing was happening. She then asked Goyle to force his way in, which really didn't work either.

"I AM THE NEW HEADMISTRESS! I DEMAND THAT YOU LET ME INTO MY OFFICE AT ONCE!" Umbridge screamed while she jumped up and down like a child throwing a tantrum. I dared glance at the Slytherins who all mirrored my expression. We may have been against each other most of the time but at a moment like this the students joined together to make fun of the teacher. Pansy had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing and Draco kept looking back and forth from Umbridge to me, expecting me to say something else to dig myself a deeper hole. Umbridge turned to us, her face sufficiently red. She then walked briskly away. When none of us moved she snapped her fingers over her shoulder and kept walking. Without a word or another glance Draco grabbed me where Umbridge had let go and forced me down the corridor. I could tell we'd be going to her office.

When we arrived in Umbridge's disgustingly pink office I was instructed to sit in the back. She then handed each of the Slytherins a small silver 'I' pin. She then explained they were the new 'Inquisitorial Squad' and had the power to dock points if anyone wasn't following Umbridge's fiats. The room spun slightly when Draco turned to me with a malicious look on his face. Then the Squad was dismissed and I was left with Umbridge to do my punishment of lines.

"Write 'I must not tell lies' until you've gotten the message," she said sitting herself at her desk.

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**Bumbumbum well I think we know what that means but I hit a bit of a writer's block. If you feel like there are important characters or subplots I am neglecting please let me know.**

**Review!**

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**mayzie**


	12. Severing Ties

**Tah-dah I actually put out a chapter kind of soon.**

**This one's short but I wanted to get it out of the way so it wouldn't be another month before I updated again.**

**Hope you like it.**

**Still don't own Harry Potter.**

**AN: People keep wondering how Neville never heard Cassie's name before but I'm going to quote what I wrote myself: **

**"Professor McGonagall raised the hat as I sat on the stool, and then dropped it on my head over my eyes.**

**Suddenly a cool but rough voice made a disgusted noise in my head and continued to speak, "A Lestrange, and a Black? A dangerous combination, both outstanding families of Slytherin, yes your place is clear, but wait! No, no I see much greater things for you; loyalty, bravery, and cunning. Difficult, very difficult. Miss Lestrange you are a black sheep in your family . . . GRYFFINDOR!"**

**_Oh yes! Oh no_. I was certainly able to see Draco's 'I'm gonna tell' face across the Great Hall while older Gryffindors welcomed me to their table and patted me on the back. The next thing I knew, the sorting was done, Ginny was sitting across from me, and two identical redheads, who I later learned were Fred and George, were asking me if I was related to the infamous Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, death eaters. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a tubby second-year, who was Neville, go pale, but paid him no mind and found this the perfect opportunity to start anew.**

**"No, of course not! They're disgusting, besides wouldn't I be in Slytherin if I were related to them?" I scoffed and filled my plate with potatoes and tried to speak as little as possible. A girl next to me who I remembered thinking had too much bushy brown hair lended me a hand by saying, "Lestrange is a very popular and widespread Wizard name. It's all over the History books!" Leave it to Hermione to know something about my name even I didn't know. Tomorrow I would start the day as just Cassie, not Cassiopeia Ursula Black-Lestrange."**

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"Mail," Fred grunted not looking up at the stream of owls flying into the Great Hall.

"Mhm," I responded absentmindedly as I thought of my Patronus and nibbled on a piece of toast.

"Uh, Cassie? Problem." I looked up to see Ginny holding a crimson envelope out at arms length. I could see my name written on the front in Grandmamma's handwriting. My DA friends gathered round and stared at the letter like it was a ticking bomb. Ginny dropped it as if it had burned her and Neville and Ron already had their fingers shoved in their ears screaming, "Open it!" and "Just get it over with!"

I took a deep breath as I opened the howler with shaking hands.

"CASSIOPEIA URSULA LESTRANGE!" Neville fell backwards off the bench and Harry offered his hand to squeeze while Fred put an arm around my shoulder as he whispered, "Your middle name is Ursula?" I scowled up at him but looked back to the howler.

"HOW DARE YOU DISGRACE THE DISTINGUISHED NAME LESTRANGE AS WELL AS THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK?" Everyone in the Great Hall turned to stare at me except for McGonagall and Flitwick, who, bless their souls, were trying very hard to ignore the howler with pleasant faces. Fred let me bury my face in his chest at this point. The howler continued screeching things like, "GRYFFINDOR!?" "DISGUSTING!" "-BETTER HOPE TO MERLIN THAT YOUR PARENTS NEVER FIND OUT!" "BELLATRIX AND RODOLPHUS WOULD SURELY DISOWN YOU!" "DISAPPOINTEMENT!" "BLOODTRAITOR!" and "CANOODLING WITH MUDBLOODS!" in Grandmamma's voice for what felt like an eternity. How could she have found out? Then a painful reminder burned across the back of my hand. Umbridge. The words were still clear as day in red across the back of my hand from the detention I had received the night before. Before the howler tore itself up my grandmother gave one final blow, "AND DON'T EXPECT TO COME HOME, YOU ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED IN THE HOUSE OF LESTRANGE. YOUR THINGS WILL BE SENT TO SCHOOL!" I finally pulled my face away from Fred's chest to look into the faces of all of my friends, the rest of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. They all gave me disgusted looks as if I had been the one to use the M-U-D-B-L-O-O-D word. I dared everyone to stare back by returning their own glares; everyone slowly started to go back to what they were doing, except Draco and the rest of the Slytherins who were laughing hysterically. I was distracted by a firm hand on my shoulder. I looked up blankly to see Professor McGonagall taking my elbow before leading me swiftly out of the Great Hall.

"Professor," I said dumbly, McGonagall turned and looked at me, something like anger burning in her eyes, "what am I going to do?"

"We'll need to make other arrangements," she responded shortly. "I'm going to discuss this with your aunt." I kept my thoughts to myself until McGonagall released my elbow just outside her office door.

"Professor, I can't really be in good standings with my aunt after Grandmamma," I didn't finish. McGonagall looked at me over her glasses, then stepped into her office and threw something into the fire.

"No, Miss Lestrange, your _other_ aunt." McGonagall leaned over the glowing green fire and started speaking like my grandmother had so many times before. I stayed hesitantly by the door so I couldn't hear what she was saying. I wracked my brain, _other aunt_, what other aunt? Then it came to me, a conversation I had heard between Aunt Narcissa and Grandmamma many years before:

"_Sometimes I have my doubts about your family's loyalty to him," Grandmamma had said._

"_Why because my dumb sister ran away with a mudblood? You know we're not like her, look at Bella."_

Was the person Professor McGonagall conversing with now the same "dumb sister" Aunt Narcissa had spoken of? I looked at McGonagall who suddenly beckoned me to her side.

"Andromeda, I would like you to meet your wonderful neice, Cassiopeia Lestrange." Wonderful? Sometimes I underestimate the fact that McGonagall has a heart.

"Oh Minerva! Look at her she's beautiful!" I blushed as I stared into the fire where the head of a woman with a strong resemblance to my mother looked back up at me.

"Oh you look just like Cissy, I never knew Bellatrix had kids."

"No one did," McGonagall responded. It was true; Grandmamma pretty much kept me a secret until I went to Hogwarts, Draco and the Malfoy's were the only other people to know I existed. I saw tears well up in my aunt's eyes.

"Of course I'll let you stay with me and Ted (your uncle)! Oh Dora (your cousin) will be so thrilled to have another girl around! It was sick of your grandmother to do such a thing to you, and you're just a child!" I looked to McGonagall.

"Your Aunt Andromeda is opening her home to you for as long as you'd like," she told me. Now I could feel tears starting in my eyes. I was so touched that this complete stranger would do something so nice for me.

"Thank you," I said sincerely, "so much."

"I'll get you at King's cross for Easter so you can settle in and we can get past the awkward getting to know each other part before you come to stay with us permanently in the summer." I nodded and McGonagall thanked my aunt before shooing me off to my classes. Just as I was about to leave her classroom I spoke up, "Professor?"

"Mhm?" McGonagall had taken a seat at the front of the class behind her desk and was looking down at some papers.

"Thank you." I tried to force everything I was feeling, all of my gratitude, into the one thanks. I think she heard it because she looked up and smiled as I walked out of the door.

I stepped out of the Transfiguration room into something hard.

"Oh, Neville, I'm sorry!"

"Cassie, we need to talk." He said looking down at me with uncharacteristic seriousness. We had about fifteen minutes before we were expected in class so I allowed Neville to lead me to an empty classroom; it was so strange of him to be this forceful. I stepped inside and turned my back on the rest of the room to face Neville after he closed the door.

"You lied to me." I stared at Neville, I couldn't remember a single time I had lied to Neville, he was my best friend besides Ginny and Luna.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about Nev," I stammered.

"'HOW DARE YOU DISGRACE THE DISTINGUISHED NAME LESTRANGE AS WELL AS THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK' or 'BELLATRIX AND RODOLPHUS WOULD SURELY DISOWN YOU!' You're parents are Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, aren't they?" I shook my head, but not to say "no," and stumbled backwards into a desk, I felt sick. It turns out I had lied to Neville, big time.

"Aren't they?" He repeated through clenched teeth

"Yes," I said defeated. I opened my mouth to explain that I didn't want people judging me based on my parents, especially Neville, especially after finding out what my parents had done to his parents. Instead, I watched Neville storm out of the classroom, slamming the door behind him.

First I lost my home, now my friend, what else was there? In that room I was vulnerable, I was crying, I was curling up in a ball on the floor, I was trying to force out the wrenching feeling in my stomach and my chest, I was realizing that I loved Neville Longbottom, and I was realizing I had just ruined everything. I felt like I could never make another patronus ever again. As any normal person letting buckets of tears flow freely, I wanted someone to find me and comfort me. No, not someone, I wanted Neville. What I got was Draco Malfoy with some stupid giggling girl, no doubt hoping to get some action before class.

"Cassiopeia?" The second I was acknowledged the Slytherin slipped her arm out of Draco's and left the classroom in a huff.

"This. Is. All. Your. Fault!" I shrieked abandoning the floor to attack Draco. Forgetting my wand, I starting hitting and smacking and punching every part of my cousin I could reach. And you know what that bastard did? He stood there and took it! When I tired myself out Draco grabbed both of my wrists and held me in a strange way that I think he meant to make comforting, but he was still trying to make sure I wouldn't hit him anymore. I sobbed loudly into his school robes, his Slytherin patch getting darker from my tears.

"Cass," he said softly, smoothing my hair. "We have to go to class," this time I was holding on to him. He sighed as I shook with the end of my crying fit.

"Alright, what's this about?"

"Y-you d-don't care! You h-hate me! A-and I hate you!" I went to pound on my cousin's chest once more but he caught my fist before I made contact.

"Are you happy Draco? You don't have to deal with me anymore, Grandmamma knows, you'll never have to see me at family parties again!"

"Why are you blaming me?" Draco shouted.

"Are you stupid?" I shouted back. "You and that damned inquisitorial squad!" I threw my hands in the air, which immediately elicited a scream because my hand suddenly burned as a reminder. "That's how Grandmamma found out. It didn't take her long to connect the facts and I'm sure Umbridge helped her. Good thing I've been kicked out of the family because you're dead to me! I hope your mother finds you the most hideous, inbred freak to marry!" I chose this time to storm out of the classroom myself. I didn't care that people were staring at my wet puffy face, let them know I was crying! As if the whole school hadn't heard my howler anyway.

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**mayzie**


	13. New Start

**Sorry this has taken so long. I just want to say "thanks!" to everyone who has favorited this story, put it on their alerts, or has reviewed. I really appreciate it. You all make me smile :)**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**I am still not J. K. Rowling, I do not own this stuff.**

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Despite the Weasley's firework show to drive Umbridge insane, as well as Ginny's constant distractions, I could hardly fill the giant void left by Neville. Most of the fifth years had started to disappear to study for the O.W.L.s anyway but there was nothing worse than Neville's cold shoulder. Especially when it wasn't there to cry on. A couple of nights I had fallen asleep crying with Ginny rubbing my back, but this was no way to live. Every night I would have usually spent on the couch with Neville I spent alone in the fourth year girls' dormitory because anytime I went anywhere near Neville, Dean, or Seamus I could just feel the chill. Hermione was easy to forgive and forget because she had always kind of known about my family. Harry was less easy to convince but far easier than Ron who can sometimes be thicker than the castle walls. According to Ginny and Hermione the twins had told Ron to shove it where the sun don't shine.

Fred and George were somewhat helpful in the comfort department. They said they had come to know me as another sister seeing as I was 'glued to Ginny's hip.' Plus it was their job to cheer people up.

"So your mum's a murderin' psychopath," Fred said.

"And so's your dad."

"Nothin' to worry 'bout, eh George?"

"Yeah you should see how ballistic our mum gets when we make a new Wheezes product."

"She never stopped _us_ from becoming the fine young gentlemen you see before you," Fred finished with a grin to match George's. I managed a weak smile and they both slung an arm around me. I only had a few more days before I would board the train to go to my new home. Few people ever left for Easter holidays so I was essentially alone.

The morning I was to leave for Easter I ate breakfast with Ginny, Fred and George were nowhere to be seen.

"Probably planning something big after the break is over," Ginny shrugged. I nodded while ignoring the dirty looks coming down the table from Seamus. Dean had calmed down and Neville seemed emotionless, but Merlin Seamus sure could hold a grudge. I did notice Neville leave the boys and head out of the Great Hall. I needed to grab all of my things to have transferred to my Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted's house. I enlisted Ginny's help and we left the Hall not long after Neville. It was a beautiful, but chilly, Saturday morning so many students were roaming the halls. Ginny and I fell into step a decent distance from Neville who was walking with Luna. Honestly I wanted to steal Luna away from him but felt too complacent with Ginny to try. That was when it happened, Neville and Luna had stopped without Ginny or I realizing, allowing us to close the gap quickly.

"Don't call her that!" Neville growled with his wand pointed at a laughing Slytherin easily twice his size.

"What?" the Slytherin drawled teasingly, "_Loony_? She is though." I made to grab my wand and defend Luna as well but Ginny gripped my arm at the same time Luna grabbed Neville's.

"It's not worth it," she said in a comfortable sing-song voice, "It doesn't bother me anyway." The Slytherins walked away laughing and Ginny and I stood still where we were.

"I just hate it when they call you that," Neville said pocketing his wand roughly, I couldn't help but wonder if it was misplaced anger. "You're not loony."

"I know that, and you know that. Why does it matter what they call me?" Luna said calmly. "It's just a name, no matter what they call me I'm still the same person you know," Luna smiled and placed a gentle hand on Neville's arm. Ginny coughed awkwardly and Neville turned to us. Luna seemed to have known we were there all along. Neville and I made eye contact. He opened his mouth to speak when McGonagall's voice sounded throughout the castle.

"All students set to leave on the Hogwarts Express must be in the Entrance Hall, ready to leave, in five minutes." I grabbed Ginny's hand, not waiting for Neville to speak and ran back to Gryffindor to grab all of my possessions Grandmamma had sent to school. I made sure to have my leather journal and told Ginny to check hers often. I hugged Ginny goodbye and received a nod from McGonagall before I was on my way with two massive levitating trunks, a shoulder bag, and Orion unhappy in his cage. Away from Ginny I finally allowed myself to sink inside, into that lonely person I felt like. Alone on the train I wallowed in self-pity. I thought of Grandmamma (had she told my parents what happened?), the estate, of Draco and Aunt Cissy. Would they miss me? What about Pereguin? Without me to intervene how hard would Grandmamma be on him? As I considered how one dumb howler could make everything fall apart so easily I thought of Neville. Sliding the Black family crest pendant back and forth nervously on the long chain had become an odd habit of mine when he came into view or ignored me when I tried to appeal to him. We had only kissed once, Neville was too shy to make a move, but he held my hand and was a great source of comfort while I was still haunted by the dreams of You-Know-Who. Tears had been rolling down my face for some time when we finally arrived at Platform 9 ¾. I wiped my face, gathered my things with the help of McGonagall, who for safety reasons had taken the train to see me off, and stepped off the train onto the dark platform. The few students that had taken the train were already leaving and that was when I saw her. My heart stopped for a moment before she stepped closer and I realized it wasn't who I thought it was.

Aunt Andromeda held a strong resemblance to my mother. Up close I could see laugh lines and softer features and I knew there was little to fear.

"Dora, I've found her! Hello Cassiopeia, I'm your Aunt Andromeda." My aunt wrapped her arms around me and I stood there awkwardly. I looked towards McGonagall concernedly, but she was smiling. Aunt Andromeda pulled back with her hands on my shoulders to survey me, much like Aunt Cissy always did.

"Thank you Minerva," a vaguely familiar voice said as Aunt Andromeda held my face in her hands, stroked my hair then pulled me into another hug.

"No, Remus, it is my job to protect the students of Hogwarts, thank _you_ for taking your time."

"Professor?" Professor Lupin, one of my former Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, stood behind my aunt next to a young woman with short, bubble gum pink hair. He chuckled.

"I'm not your professor anymore, Cassie. Feel free to call me Remus."

"Er," how awkward, addressing a former teacher by his first name, "am I related to you too?" I couldn't understand why Lupin was there too. I was still confused as to why McGonagall would bother with me. Even if my mother was on the loose, she was probably preoccupied by her precious master. Lupin shook his head and laughed lightly again, but I didn't fail to notice that he looked terribly worn. There had been many moons since I last saw him before he was sacked at the end of my second year.

"He isn't, but I am!" The pink haired women piped up. She stuck out her hand.

"I'm your cousin, you can call me… Dora, I guess," she finished after getting a look from her mother. I took her hand; so different from the suffocating hugs Aunt Andromeda had bestowed me with. I hardly had time to form the thought before she released my hand and pulled me into her arms.

"I'm so sorry about what your grandmother put you through, Cassiopeia."

"Please," I said almost smiling, "call me Cassie." The whole five minutes that had elapsed held more love than my fifteen years at the estate.

"Well, I'd best be getting back, send my best to Albus, and I'll see you at the end of break Miss Lestrange." I cringed at my last name.

"Yes, Professor." McGonagall apparated and I turned to the three smiling people behind me. Dora had Orion, and Remus was levitating my trunks onto a trolley.

"Albus…Dumbledore?" I asked suddenly. Remus and Dora's faces dropped.

"Not here."

"We'll tell you when we get home dear, Ted's waiting out in the car," Aunt Andromeda said patting my arm.

I was told in brief about the Order of Phoenix, Dumbledore, and that he had been the one who wanted me to have guards (Remus and Dora) in case my mother got any ideas. With my head full of thoughts, I needed to separate myself into the room that was to be mine.

"You should probably take that off," Aunt Andromeda stood in the doorway leaning her head against the frame. I knew what she was talking about. Out of habit I slid the pendent back and forth on the chain while looking down at it. It was a painful reminder, but it was me, delicate, intricate, maybe even beautiful, but dark. I had believed all those things about pureblood, I had silenced my rebelling thoughts about fairness and equality, I had gone to the parties, made my ties, and secured myself into the minds of every pureblood with a handsome son by the time I was eleven. Yet, here I was, disowned from the life it only took five short years to turn my back on, gripping on to my sole reminder of it all. But I had liked the power, the parties, the lavish living, it was shallow, yes, so shallow, but that aristocrat inside me thrived off it. Even as a loyal and good Gryffindor I still loved to gossip, it was in my nature. I had never thought so much about who I was since that day I got that howler.

Aunt Andromeda crossed the small room that used to belong to Dora and sat on the edge of my bed. I hadn't even realized I still had a vice grip on the necklace until she unclasped the back and the chain slid from my neck to my lap. I looked at it pitifully. So beautiful and expensive looking on the threadbare quilt it had fallen onto.

"Just for the night, sweety, I know you don't want to let go. It's a hard adjustment." I felt as though I could feel my eyes sinking back into my skull, I didn't want to look at the Black family crest, but I couldn't turn away so suddenly.

"H-how did _you_-?" my voice came out as barely a whisper. Tears slid for the millionth time down my permanently stained cheeks. Aunt Andromeda was quick to wipe them away with a soft hand, which moved to stroke my hair as her other hand came around my shoulder and pulled me a little bit closer to her. You could just tell she had raised a girl, she had that caring touch Grandmamma never could.

"I never really was a Black," she said softly into my hair, "more of a Gray. I loved my sisters and my parents and my home, but I loved your uncle and they never accepted me for that, so I left. I miss Narcissa, even Bella, everyday, but I'd rather miss them than Ted. It's what's important to you, family will always love you, even when it doesn't seem that way." It didn't seem that way. At all. But I nodded and let her kiss my head and tuck me in. I had never been properly put to bed before, and for that I shed an extra tear that was unseen because my aunt had already closed the door. The Black family crest pendant sat on my bedside table taunting me while I slept.

The next morning, Easter Sunday, I woke to a package from Ginny. I yawned, stretched, and wiggled my toes before placing my bare feet on the worn wood floors of Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted's cottage. My right foot made contact with something fuzzy and rather unwooden. I looked down to see my pink slippers. I looked to where my trunks were, but they were gone. I slid my cold feet into my slippers and sidled my way over to the closet. I opened it to find a large (probably had to be magically enhanced) closet holding all of my gowns and robes. I then walked over to the one dresser in the room to find my casual and muggle-ish clothes. I hadn't even opened my trunks from Grandmamma's and hadn't even thought of how the clothes had been packed into them. Had it not been for the weight I would have assumed that she had just blasted all my things to pieces and whatever wasn't reduced to ashes was tossed in the trunks. It seemed that all of my clothes were there, but I couldn't see much need for half the things I owned in such a humble place as the Tonks's. I found the sweatshirt I was looking for as well as a hair tie from my shoulder bag. I looked like a bum. My long blonde hair, messy from yet another fitful sleep, was thrown up in a careless bun with a headband to keep my bangs at bay. I was wearing plaid pajama pants, my fuzzy slippers, and a sweatshirt that was too big for me, but something told me Aunt Andromeda wasn't as strict as Grandmamma with "proper attire."

"Good morning, Sleepyhead," Uncle Ted said looking up from an issue of _The Quibbler_.

"'Morning. Don't tell me you read that rubbish," I responded. It was weird how quickly I had warmed up to Uncle Ted when the only other father-like figure to be in my life before was Uncle Lucius, and boy did I detest him. He laughed, shaking his head as he closed the issue and set it on the table.

"Nah, just can't read the _Daily Prophet _anymore. Thought I'd try something new for a laugh," Uncle Ted smiled warmly; I knew we would get along just fine.

"Pancakes are almost ready," Aunt Andromeda said from the stove.

"Oh you didn't have to-" I started.

"Oh hush, you're so skinny besides when's the last time you had homemade pancakes?"

"Er, do the house elves at school count?" Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted laughed as Aunt Andromeda placed a steaming stack of fluffy pancakes in front of me.

"Thank you, Aunt Andromeda!"

"You are quite welcome, dear. And you can call me Aunt Andy or something, I'll surely die before you finish saying my whole name." She laughed lightly again. That was probably the best way to explain the whole cottage, light. Not dark, dreary, and creepy like the Lestrange Estate or Malfoy Manor. It was warmer than any room with a blazing fire back at Grandmamma's, and there was a clear feeling of love and caring in the air. I cannot imagine any place better.

"Oh and thank you for unpacking my clothes," I said sincerely.

"Oh, it was nothing. Everything was nice and neatly folded, though I doubt Pandora did it, probably your house elf," Aunt Andy responded.

"Pereguin," I said sadly looking down at my plate. He was always so good to me and I always tried to be nice back, unlike ungrateful Grandmamma.

"I wonder…" Aunt Andy and I looked expectantly at Uncle Ted to finish. "Cassie, have you tried to summon Pereguin?"

"Er, no. Can I do that?"

"Well he has to follow orders from family members, right?"

"Yeah, I s'pose. But Grandmamma probably blasted me off the family tree."

"Oh Pandora has one too?" Aunt Andy piped up, "My Aunt Walburga had one, blasted me and Sirius off, I imagine."

"You should try calling him," Uncle Ted continued.

"Er, alright. Pereguin?" I said the last bit louder as though he was only in the other room. Then there was a resounding crack and Pereguin appeared right in the kitchen.

"Mistress Cassie! What do you require of Pereguin? Does Madame know?"

"No, Pereguin, and Grandmamma cannot know-"

"Mistress Cassie's mother is home. Mistress Cassie's mother is looking for Mistress Cassie." Uncle Ted and Aunt Andy exchanged nervous glances. I had a sudden idea. I thought of something Ginny had once told me. I ran upstairs, grabbed an old textbook of mine and slipped a sock into it. I returned to the kitchen.

"Pereguin, no one must know that I am not at school, okay?" He nodded. "Now take this and put it somewhere not too obvious that Grandmamma will find it. When she asks you to throw it away or take it somewhere, open it, but do not open it any sooner. Now return to the manor but when you've opened the book come back here, no matter what." Pereguin stared at me with glassy eyes but nodded and snapped his long fingers and disapparated. I paced the kitchen waiting for Pereguin to return.

"Cassie, you probably shouldn't have done that," Aunt Andy started while I gnawed on my fingernails. It hadn't even been ten minutes, but what would they do when they unwittingly lost their house elf? On my seventy-third lap of the kitchen Pereguin reappeared in the Tonks's small kitchen. I stopped in my tracks as he held the sock up to me.

"Mistress, did you do this?" he seemed shocked. I smiled and gave a slight nod and all of a sudden Pereguin's eyed filled with tears as he wrapped his skinny arms around my waist, his head resting on my stomach.

"Thank you Mistress! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"No need to thank me, Pereguin, I couldn't stand the thought of leaving you at the estate." Pereguin patted his tears with my sock then blew his nose on it.

"But, but what will Pereguin do now?" I hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Er, well you're free now! You can do whatever you want!"

"But all Pereguin wants to do is work." Oh boy. I hadn't planned on this. I looked round at my aunt and uncle. Uncle Ted was doing a miserable job hiding a grin while Aunt Andy seemed to be thinking hard.

"Well you could work in the kitchens at Hogwarts," I offered, but he shook his head. He looked around the kitchen before suddenly running out. I followed to find him tidying the living room.

"What the-?"

"Pereguin wishes to stay here, Mistress."

"Are you sure?" I asked as he carried a pile of stray books to the bookshelf in the corner. He simply nodded.

"Well I can't argue with that," Aunt Andy said from the doorway to the kitchen.

"Well this _is_ better than Grandmamma's," I sighed. He looked thrilled to be cleaning somewhere other than under the eye of my grandmother.

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	14. Getting Better With Time

**Sorry these updates are so spaced out. I would love to set a deadline but I'm afraid to disappoint so I'd rather you just get excited when I finally update :P**

**Thank you readers and reviewers! I love you guys.  
**

**I do not own Harry Potter, even in my best dreams.**

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Pereguin spent the rest of Easter cleaning the cottage, which didn't take too long seeing as it's so small. It took everything in Uncle Ted, Aunt Andy, and me to convince him to stop long enough to have his first real meal, and first meal as a free elf. We had ham and lots of other things that were far less extravagant than the estate food but so much better. Afterward, Dora, Remus, and I retreated to the living room to polish off the giant basket of candy Remus had bought from Honeydukes.

"It's weird, when you think about it," I said taking a bite out of a chocolate bunny struggling to escape my hand.

"What is?" Dora asked. I admired her pale yellow hair, the exact shade of a newborn chick, as we sat in silence, chewing our candy.

"Well," I continued after swallowing an especially large chunk of chocolate, "last holiday I spent eating Honeydukes, it was my birthday present from Draco." A less comfortable silence followed that testimonial, similar to the kinds that follow some of Luna's most outlandish statements. I looked up just in time to see Remus and Dora exchange an odd sort of look before Remus rose from the couch.

"I really must get going, stuff for the Order," he said brushing nonexistent crumbs off his robes. I nodded understandingly and Dora rose as well. But after I heard the front door close, Dora returned.

"I'm staying the night," she said at the curious look on my face. "I want to get to know you!" she smiled brightly and threw her arms around me, "I've always wanted a little sister!" When she pulled away I was shocked to see her hair turned white blonde in a wavy bob with eyes the exact shade as mine. She smirked then walked over to the mirror above the mantle took a good look then spun around to look at me.

"I quite like it, what do you think? Or should I have my hair long like you?" she laughed and her hair started to grow to the middle of her back, just like mine. I scrunched up my nose and shook my head.

"Ugh, I much prefer the bob. Grandmamma made me keep my hair long because it was more feminine. I hate it though," I responded lifting a section of my hair then dropping it lamely. Dora crossed the room and ran her hands through my hair and made a "hmph," sound.

"Albus left me duty free until Remus and I bring you back to Kings Cross on Wednesday, how about you and I go into Diagon Alley and get you a hair cut. Mum and I were never so good at those kind of spells, mainly 'cause I never needed 'em." To prove her point Dora's hair shot back up into her skull and took on the bubble gum pink she seemed to like best. I smiled and decided to call it a night.

The next morning I got up and prepared to go out with Dora. It was still rather cold out so I chose my quilted midnight blue and silver robes. I pulled open my closet door and sighed deeply. The closet back at the estate was nearly as big as my room, and somehow the same amount of things was now in that one magically grown closet. I scrunched up my face, huffed my bangs out of my face then dove in. I had thrown at least ten robes and thirteen different gowns on the floor before I realized I had made no progress. I took a nice deep breath and screamed. All the while tearing ostentatious things out of the closet. I threw everything in a pile with quite a bit of zeal then jumped, kicked, ripped and screamed. I felt like an angry, wild beast. I tore up everything that Grandmamma had picked out or bought for me. For extra emphasis I cast an isolated fire on the pile. That was when Dora chose to open the door.

"Merlin, Cassie!" She flicked her wand and shot water onto the clothes. I laughed remorselessly, the water definitely made the condition of the clothes much worse. Dora looked at me sitting off to the side laughing hysterically with a curious expression on her face.

"I hope you're not like this everyday," she said vanishing the damp, ashen pile. I stopped laughing and looked up at her with her hand still on the doorknob.

"No, no, sorry I've been a bit…off, lately." Dora gripped my hand and lifted me to my feet.

"Do- do you need any…help?"

"No, I think I'll be alright. I got it out of my system." I looked into the huge closet, the only robes left were the green and black lace ones from Christmas, my midnight blue and silver robes, and a set of eggplant purple robes. Dora nodded then left me to change.

I emerged from my room in my robes with my long hair in a high ponytail, I would miss it, but I couldn't wait to chop it all off. I stepped into the living room to find Remus and Dora conversing over coffee. I felt my cheeks grow hot when I realized Remus was probably present for my freak out. They sensed my presence and stopped talking to look up at me.

"'Morning, Cassie," Remus said with the hint of a repressed laugh. I looked to Dora and plopped down on the couch beside Remus.

"She told you didn't she?"

"Yea-" Remus tried to stifle a laugh then composed himself, "yes." I nodded. "Are you- alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," I said rolling my eyes.

"Well," Dora said clapping her hands together, "ready?"

"Yup. Is Remus coming?" Without meaning to it came out the way I felt, like he was invading on what I'd hoped would be "girl time." I winced and started an apology when Remus held up his hand to stop me. At least he had a smile on his face, "Say no more, I know when I'm not wanted. I'll see you later, Dora." Then he proceeded to go in for a handshake when Dora clearly had a hug in mind, so Remus switched to a kiss on the cheek when Dora extended her hand. They did an awkward sort of shuffle before they both gave up and Remus let himself out. I stood with my arms crossed and an eyebrow cocked.

"What?" Dora asked defensively. I shook my head with a smirk, "Let's go, we can talk later."

We flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and decided to start with a haircut. Dora promptly transformed her hair into the wavy blonde bob she had taken on the night before.

"This is what I want my hair to look like," I said pointing to Dora. The witch in the salon laughed and said, "Well that makes my job easier." She took out a large pair of shears and instructed me to sit. I eyed her skeptically.

"What? Did you think I'd do it with my wand?"

"I've never gotten my hair cut before…"

"Well we do it the muggle way," she said laughing again, "if it's not broken why fix it? Besides I have more control this way." She covered my shoulders with a cape and went to work. Every time the shears went near my face or neck I tensed up and the stylist laughed. Finally she declared my hair done and spun me around to face the mirror. I had bouncy waves that fell just below my chin that perfectly complimented my heart shaped face.

"Oh Cassie! You look so cute!"

"I agree, this look definitely suits you," the stylist said dusting hair off my shoulders after removing the cape. I thanked her as Dora, with her hair back to normal ("We probably shouldn't have matching 'do's we'd look like such losers"), paid.

We shopped the rest of the day and Dora paid for every thing ("Cass I make way too much as an Auror to _not_ spend it all on you").

I followed Dora into a teashop, all the while running my fingers through my hair. I had been straightening my hair for so long I forgot what it was like naturally. We sat at a low table for two in the back of the dimly lit teashop waiting for our tea. Dora pulled off her scarf and outer coat and threw it onto the pouf beside her.

"This is how I remember Divination," she said scrunching up her nose. In an attempt not to laugh I covered my mouth and snorted making us both laugh even more.

"This is worse than Madame Puddifoot's in Hogsmeade," I whispered because there was a server right behind us.

"Oh Merlin I hate that place, hell I don't like this place much either, let's go get chips and butterbeer at the Leaky Cauldron." She barely finished her sentence before I was up and ready to leave. Laughing we entered the Leaky Cauldron and took a booth against the side wall.

"I think now's a good time for girl talk," Dora said placing two big mugs of butterbeer on the table. I nodded as I took a sip.

"You first, tell me about yourself."

"Well, um, my middle name is Ursula," I crinkled my nose at the thought of it, "My best friends are Ginny Weasley, you apparently know her, and Luna Lovegood, she's in Ravenclaw. We're all in 'Dumbledore's Army' together, but we haven't had a meeting lately 'cause of Umbridge. Defense Against the Dark Arts has been my best class ever since we had Lupin, er Remus. Which reminds me," I grinned slyly, "what's going on between you two?"

"Nothing! We're just partners for the Order."

"So when he was over for Easter and this morning, it was on official Order business?" I stared Dora down and she squirmed a little.

"Fine, no, there's something, I think, going on between us. It's hard to say, I think I'm in love with him, and most days I'm certain he loves me too but he makes it so hard."

"How?"

"With the werewolf stuff, he says he's no good for me, that I deserve someone pure-"

"That's rubbish!"

"- not to mention the age gap, almost fifteen years."

"Merlin, really?" Dora looked at me sheepishly and nodded. "Age is just a number really, you're both adults now so it doesn't really matter," I said. She nodded and finished off her mug of butterbeer.

"So what about you, Oh-Wise-One, got any boys on your mind?"

"Neville." It came out rather quick and unexpectedly. I bit my lip then continued, "Neville Longbottom, he's in Harry's year, I 'spose you know about his parents?"

"Yes, they were in the original Order. They were tortured by- oh Cassie!" I must of looked miserable because Dora had gotten up and sat next to me in the booth and wrapped her arms around me. That was when I started to cry for what felt like the hundredth time that year.

"He- he- he didn't know they were my parents un-until the h-h-howler! N-n-now he won't t-t-talk to me! He was my b-b-best friend! We k-k-kissed! I miss him s-s-so-o much!" I sobbed into Dora's shoulder as she rubbed circles on my back.

"I think we should finish this at home," she whispered, passing me a napkin to dry my face. I sniffed, nodded, and patted my face, then we flooed back to the cottage. Dora spent about a half an hour explaining how stupid boys are and that he'll come around while Pereguin baked us chocolate chip cookies.

"I'm glad we got to spend the day together, even though I broke out in tears at the end," I said smiling in spite of myself.

"Me too," Dora said with a smile, "I guess this is what it's like to have a sister."

"If it is, I like it." Then we sat in comfortable silence eating out cookies and sipping milk.

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	15. The Escape

**Here it is at last! Sorry again for the wait.**

**I don't own Harry Potter and the italic part in the middle is directly quoted from Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix.**

**Hope you like it!  
**

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I knew I missed dinner when the few of us who went home for Easter walked into the Entrance Hall. Everyone was leaving the Great Hall and I was glad I had taken the sandwich Aunt Andy had made for me.

"Cassie?!" I spun around to see Ginny bounding down the stairs towards me. I dropped my bag and threw my arms open to her. Ginny always was the best hugger I knew; she would practically crack your ribs or lift you off the ground and never let go, but that was just how I liked it. Luna had come over and when Ginny was quite through squeezing the air out of me she wrapped me in her arms too.

"It's like I've been gone for ages! Who would've known you lot liked me this much?" I said laughingly.

"Look at your hair!" Ginny gushed holding on to the ends and looking for the rest of it.

"It looks very pretty Cassie," Luna said tilting her head to the side like an observant dog. The rest of the night was uneventful. I told Ginny all about my new family and then about Dora and Lupin, which she thought was adorable, before we went to sleep.

The next morning we headed down to breakfast and I rather purposefully avoided Neville and his cronies. Ginny and I chose a spot by Fred and George who were talking adamantly with their heads pushed together. When we sat down and began to eat they separated and smiled mischievously.

"Ladies," Fred said with a nod to Ginny and I. We rolled our eyes and chatted rather girlishly about what would happen if Dora and Remus got married. "I think," Fred continued, "that it would be beneficial to you two if you were to somehow make your little ways over to the east wing on the fifth floor after lessons." Ginny furrowed her brow and I looked at them skeptically, raising my eyebrows.

"Spread it around and we'll make it worth your while," George said with a wink and the two left. I couldn't help but think what they could possibly do but Ginny and I were sure to discuss it loudly in each of our lessons that day. By lunch I was restless to see what the twins were up to. Ginny and I sat across from Hermione who was (surprise, surprise) reading a book. Ron was next to her but Harry was nowhere to be seen. Then I looked down the table to see he had sandwiched himself between Seamus and Dean.

"Why's Harry sitting over ther-" Ron was waving his arms and shaking his head. Suddenly Hermione shot her head up and glared at me. When Hermione returned to her book Ginny whispered in my ear, "Merlin, if looks could kill."

"You-Know-Who would be out of the job," I whispered back.

The end of classes finally came and Ginny and I grabbed Luna and sped over to the east wing which was in the complete opposite end of the castle from where we were. We skid around the corner and the three of us nearly landed in a giant swamp. No that's not right, there couldn't possibly be a swamp in the middle of the castle. Yet there we were, along with a growing group, standing at the edge of a swamp. Somehow students were in the middle of the swamp with wellies on throwing swamp goo at each other. I looked over at Ginny and Luna who were as speechless as me. Then we burst out laughing and so did everyone around us.

"What's going on here?" Pansy, the pug-faced Slytherin prefect, elbowed her way through the crowd behind us. She came out between Ginny and Luna and like they occlumency they both stuck their legs out at the same time while I gave a helpful push. Everyone stopped dead and the whole corridor was silent as the grave as the Pansy lay motionless in the swamp. It felt like an eternity when I caught Fred's eye, his face frozen in a laugh, before Pansy pushed herself up and shrieked something non of us wanted to hear, "PROFESSOR UMBRIDGE!" There was a mad scramble as students tried to flee the scene of the crime in fear that somehow they'd be seen as guilty. But Umbridge must have been on her way because her shrill voice could be heard over the crowd, "Students are not to loiter in the corridors!" We were all looking at Umbridge but I turned quick to look at Fred and George. For a second I would have sworn I saw fear flicker across their faces, but with a look of assurance from each other it was gone. Another eternity passed before the entire school gathered around the twins and Umbridge in the Great Hall, just like the night Trelawney was sacked. Ginny and Luna got pushed back by the doors and though I wanted to watch the action I chose to join them.

_"So . . . you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?" _I heard Umbridge bellow.

_"Pretty amusing, yeah," _responded one of the twins, I couldn't see which one. Ginny gave a nervous chuckle. She never worried about Fred and George; no one did, actually, but Umbridge was a completely different beast.

_"I've got the form, Headmistress."_

"Filch!" Luna squeaked out.

_"I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting. . . ."_

"Whips?!" I whispered worriedly; Ginny shook her head in disbelief.

_"Oh, let me do it now. . . ."_

_"Very good, Argus," _said Umbridge. _"You two are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."_

"_Her _school," scoffed someone nearby, otherwise the entire hall was silent.

_"You know what? I don't think we are. George, I think we've outgrown full-time education," _said the twin I'd assume was Fred.

_"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," said George lightly._

_"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" asked Fred._

_"Definitely," said George._ Then together they shouted, _"Accio Brooms!" _and their brooms, one still dragging a chain, came flying down the steps into the middle of the crowd.

_"We won't be seeing you,"_ said one twin.

_"Yeah don't bother to keep in touch,"_ said the other.

_"If anyone fan_c_ies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to ninety-three, Diagon Alley- Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes_," shouted the first twin. _"Our new premises!"_

_"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear to use our products to get rid of this old bat,"_ said the other twin.

_"STOP THEM!" shrieked Umbridge, but it was too late._ Fred and George were in the air.

_"Give her hell from us, Peeves,"_ Fred said as Peeves gave a salute (all the students gasped at his obedience). While Fred and George hammed it up, flying around for the cheering crowd, Ginny and I threw open the front doors so that they could finally fly out into the sunset.

"Mum is going to kill them," Ginny said solemnly, though she couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, but I wish they would've taken me with them," I said laughing as Ginny gave me a playful shove.

School was buzzing with news of the Weasley twins' escape for weeks afterward, which made concentrating on finals very difficult. Everyone wanted to hop a broom and leave especially since the weather was warming up considerably.

One Saturday, about two weeks after The Great Escape, Ginny and I were trying to eat fast so we could enjoy as much time outside as possible. Most of Gryffindor was sitting at the table, which was rare for a sunny Saturday morning. Just as I filled my mouth with an unladylike amount of scrambled eggs someone called my name from one end of the table, and based on the looks on everyone's faces, the person who called my name could only be one person. I turned to see Draco approaching, causing Harry and Ron to stand up.

"Go away Malfoy," Ron said angrily.

"Shut up Weasel, this doesn't concern you," Draco sneered. Now Ginny was standing too.

"Cassie can I talk to you?" Draco asked leaning around Ron to look at me. I immediately took a page from my grandmother's book by spitting on the floor at Draco's feet. He made a disgusted sound then seized my arm. I expected to have Ginny grab my other arm but I turned to see she had sat back down. I gave the boys a look to let them know it was okay and I let Draco drag me out onto the grounds behind a tree where no one would see us.

"Curious," Draco said observing me, "I was expecting you to put up a fight, you're not still upset about Longbottom are you?" I didn't make eye contact with my cousin, I was sick of him and since I was disowned from the family I didn't want to deal with him anymore.

"Look, Umbridge put me on watch on the seventh floor corridor tonight." I wasn't sure where he was going with this. "And maybe if you or Longbottom were to go into the Room of Requirement while I wasn't looking. . ."

"Malfoy, are you trying to fix things between me and Neville?"

"Don't take this as me being nice. That Weasley girl threatened to hex me, but threatening her back with Umbridge was like threatening her with kittens!"

"Oh Draco, you big softy." The corner of Draco's mouth twitched as I smiled up at him teasingly. Then he turned abruptly and walked back into the castle and I followed.

* * *

**Come on guys, I miss your reviews!**

**Tell me what you think so far, where it should go next, whatever.**

_**mayzie**_


	16. Fixed

**So first off, I want to say a big thank you to, well frankly everyone, that's right, I did not just type out all of your usernames because I don't appreciate you.**

**So thanks to:**

**_XxMichyBabyxX, HarryPotterRocks09, PurpleMonkeyDishwashers, The last of the Timeladies, Beesy, Ana-chan10, EmmberlyneRiddle, minuet-of-forest, Animalover95, em, AcidTrippZ, Autumn Skyie, Maran Zelde, Heart of the Phoenix, Elizabeth Mathews, Daughter-of-Eirene, Jokegirl, LaughingAngelsGibberish, Potter-Black-Lupin, and xMadeline11x_**** for their reviews.**

**And special thanks to: **

**_Twilightluver919-God'sBabyGirl, Mary, JasperisMYeverything, NevemTeve, Elfsquire90, xxfhockeygurliexx_ ****for their multiple reviews.**

**As well as thanks to:**

**_AddyBlack, AGRIMLIKEDOG, Alex Tonks, Animalover95, Aragornevenstar4eva, Beesy, BlueRose22, Cannah and AmmieTheEvilTwins, Dammi forza, DarkJuliet, EmmberlyneRiddle, HarryPotterRocks09, Iwould'vebeenAlexia, JasperisMYeverything, Jenna Carpenter, Jokegirl, Kano13, kirstie310, Kittycat-gamergirl, MerlinGarwin, Metallic Maiden, MoonyPadfootandProngs981, paratrooper321fa, picklevictory, Potter-Lupin-Black, princess1421, PurpleMonkeyDishwashers, Ramsha96, Sadistic-Llama, SakuraKiss234, Scotgirl92, shel-bay, sunnyme, SunshineRainbow, tarnished silver things, The Little Lost Lamb., Twilightluver919-God'sBabyGirl, Ulquiorra-Schiffer-4, xMadeline11x, XxMichyBabyxX, xXTheIcePeaPrincessXx_** **for putting this story in their favorites.**

**And:**

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**You guys kept this story going and after countless times of me telling myself, "Man, I really need to write that chapter", here it finally is.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you, for hanging in there this long and all I can do is ask you to hang on a little bit longer. This one goes to you.**

**Oh, and I still don't own Harry Potter. The very last quote is straight from OOTP.  
**

* * *

That night I told Ginny what Draco had said to me.

"I know," she said, "he told me to tell Neville to meet me there at midnight to 'talk about something.'"

"Midnight," I said slowly as I looked at my watch. It didn't have any numbers on it so it always took me a minute to process the time. "Merlin's pants! That's in five minutes!"

"Well go!" Ginny yelled pushing me out the door of the dormitory. I took the stairs two at a time, bowled over a few first years pulling a late night, and jumped out of the portrait hole.

I hadn't been out at night in so long, so I marveled at the silence as I tip-toed through the corridors. I finally made it to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and started pacing back and forth thinking about Neville. When the door appeared I went in without hesitation, the less time I spent out in the corridors, the better. I closed the door behind me slowly to avoid making too much noise. When I turned to face the room I saw that it was empty except for a few glowing torches and Neville.

"Cassie?" he said surprised. "Where's Ginny?"

"She's not coming. . ." Understanding dawned on Neville's face. "And whether or not you'll believe it, Malfoy helped out."

We both went to talk at the same time but I let Neville go first.

"Do you remember what Luna said before Easter Holiday?" he asked rubbing the back of his neck. I nodded; thinking of the time in the corridor when Luna said that just because people called her 'Loony' didn't mean she was (even though she kind of was), it seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Well, it made me realize that I knew _you_ and became friends with _you_, not your name or family. I overreacted, I was just so shocked that your parents-" I scowled, "erm, Bellatrix and Rodolphus had escaped I- I lost it a little. I am _so _sorry, losing you was terrible."

"Stop."

"What?" He blinked a few times looking terribly hurt. I was about to do one of the most cliché things I had ever done, though lately cliché seemed to be my middle name. But why stand around taking the time to consider how cliché it was on a scale of one to ten? Instead I threw my arms around his neck and planted a big wet one (okay it wasn't that wet, that's gross) full on his mouth. This kiss was more than just the peck we shared in the Three Broomsticks.

Neville's arms were warm, strong, and sure as they wrapped around me. But his embrace was nothing in comparison to his kiss. Had he not been holding me like his life depended on it I would have buckled at the knees. It was sweet and tender and wonderful, but at the same time urgent as though we'd never see each other again. I don't know how long we stood there kissing and holding each other, not that it really mattered, but when we finally pulled apart for good Neville said, "I like your hair," and I couldn't help but laugh.

We walked all the way to Gryffindor Tower in silence with our hands intertwined. The Fat Lady wasn't enthused by our late arrival, but let us in nonetheless. That night when I crawled into bed I knew I would not need the Dreamless Sleep potion to get a good rest.

The next morning at breakfast was interesting; Neville and I sat together on my preferred side of the table. Draco watched the Gryffindor tableas he strut across the Great Hall, no doubt looking for me, and when his eyes fell upon Neville and me I could tell he liked what he saw. He gave a small approving nod in my direction then sat down between Crabbe and Goyle as if nothing had happened. When Seamus and Dean walked in we received a much different reaction. Seamus was rude but Dean said, "Finally!" but Seamus _always was_ harder to placate. Neville poured me some pumpkin juice and said, "He'll get over it." I smiled and played with his hand and smiled some more. I hated being cutesy but I couldn't help it when being this happy with Neville was so easy. After everything that had happened to me this year I deserved to be blindingly happy. Ginny coughed awkwardly as she sat in front of us and we both smiled up at her.

"Soooo."

"Soooo," Neville and I repeated. Ginny rolled her eyes and started piling eggs and bacon onto her plate.

"You lot are alright then, yeah?"

"Yeah," I said with a smirk as a silent thank you to her. I decided Neville and I had had enough Neville and Cassie time and started discussing the upcoming House Cup game against Ravenclaw.

"If by some miracle we beat them, meaning if I get end the game before they have enough time to score on Ron a thousand times, we may actually place! 'Course it's about the score, not just winning, so we have to pray the girls are at the top of their game like they usually are," Ginny said between mouthfuls of eggs.

"I just hope the game doesn't drag on, I need all the time I can get to study for the O.W.L.s," Neville said pitifully. I patted his hand and turned to Ginny.

"Well I wouldn't miss it for the world, besides I've been hoping to try out that _thing_ Fred sent me."

"Oh yes!" Ginny said with a giggle, "I forgot about _that_."

"What?" Neville asked curiously.

"Nothing." Ginny and I said together.

"Wait, really! What _thing_?" Neville asked again.

"_Really_, it's nothing. Come to the game and maybe you'll see; besides, don't you have studying to do?" I replied with a smile. Ginny and I did that telepathy thing again and stood up at the same time to leave the hall and chatter about the odds of winning the Quidditch game.

There was _some_ miracle the day of the match, and boy was I glad I brought the letter Fred had sent me.

_Cassiopeia,_

_I'm sending you this because I know you're the unofficial Gryffindor cheerleader, and you have quite a set of lungs; yes, George and I did hear you yelling at us during all those matches. Anyway, we wrote the attached just in case Ronny finally plays the way we know he can (but would never admit to). Make us proud!_

_Love,_

_Fred Weasley_

_Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes_

_P.S. Fingers crossed this even makes it past the good Headmistress ;)_

Somehow Umbridge let it go, or somehow it slipped past her, but attached was the wretched song the Slytherins had made up, only the words were changed to sound more positive. Ron had indeed put on a good show for the last match of the season, and after his third save I knew it was time. I was sitting in the very front of the stands for the first time without Hermione, who had helped me look up the charm I was about to perform. I turned to face the rest of the Gryffindors and raised my wand like a conductor's baton.

"Like we practiced boys," I said over the dull roar of the stadium to Neville, Dean, and Seamus. With a flick of my wand golden words appeared in the air and the boys and I began belting out a familiar tune. At first the Gryffindor stands were dead silent as though we were throwing our own team to a hungry lion, but they caught on quick.

_"WEASLEY CAN SAVE ANYTHING, HE NEVER LEFT A SINGLE RING, THAT'S WHY GRYFFINDORS ALL SING: WEASLEY IS OUR KING!"_

* * *

**The O.W.L.s are fast approaching and so is the end of the year and the end of this story.**

**There are tons of names at the top of this chapter and I hope it's not too much to ask for some more reviews ;)**

**anyway**

**Review!**

**Thanks (:**

**_mayzie_**


	17. Help Wanted

**Woo! Look at that! Only 12 days since my last update, it's like some sort of record. Anyway, I cranked this one out pretty quickly because you guys are so awesome and your reviews inspired me to write, so keep it up! I love it! Also, my 17th birthday is coming up and I'm having a "Coming of Age" Harry Potter party, which has gotten me into an extreme Harry Potter mood haha  
**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm almost done! So sad :(**

**I don't own Harry Potter, la, la, la, the italic part is once again from OOTP (Pages 735-736).**

* * *

"Have you seen Luna? Luna Lovegood. Loony. Have you seen her? Anyone seen Luna Lovegood?" I asked passersby. They all shook their heads or shrugged and kept walking. I threw my hands up in frustration as droves of students hurried around me, standing in the center of the Entrance Hall, to their next classes. I suddenly spotted a head of long red hair halfway up the main staircase.

"GINNY!" I screamed, cupping my hands around my mouth. She turned quickly and looked around for who had called her. I waved my hand briefly then screamed, "HAVE YOU SEEN LUNA?" She looked confused for a second and opened her mouth to speak, but seemed to have realized what I said and pointed her finger down at me and swirled it in the universal sign for "turn around, dummy." I threw her a thumbs up and spun around to find Luna uncomfortably close to me. I leapt backwards in fright and clutched at my heart before taking a step back toward Luna.

"Looking for me, Cassiopeia?" she said blinking her huge eyes.

"Yes!" I said relieved; I hated walking to class alone. I threw my arm around her shoulder and turned her towards the Divination classroom. We arrived outside the door to find Rose, looking sour.

"Firenze refused to teach today because something about planets being in a line means he has to spend the day in silent meditation; he asked that someone hung around to tell everyone else, but Clarissa and _Michael_ are waiting for me outside."

"Oh that's really too bad, Rose," Luna said, not getting it. I rolled my eyes; I knew where this was going, so I figured I'd cut to the chase.

"We'll wait here. You go ahead, Rose," I said in a tone that made it clear that I had much better things to do.

"Thanks! Most of the class already came by so you won't have to wait long," Rose replied sincerely. I sighed and softened my tone before saying, "No problem."

When Rose was out of earshot Luna turned to me and asked, "Who is Michael? Not Ginny's boyfriend?" It was nice to see Luna was learning some tact and hadn't blurted that out while Rose was still around. Rose certainly would've gotten a kick out of explaining how Michael and Ginny were quite over and now he was with Rose. Instead, _I_ got to explain the whole thing to Luna.

". . . he moved on rather quickly, you see, and Ginny really doesn't like talking about it." Luna nodded in understanding. We had been standing in the corridor for at least ten minutes and no one had come.

"Ginny has a free period now too; do you want to see if she wants to hang out outside? It's really warm out today."

"Okay." Luna and I climbed the stairs all the way up to the seventh floor. When we arrived at the Fat Lady I made Luna cover her ears when I gave the password.

"Oh, Cassie can I come in?" Luna said longingly.

"Er," I looked to the Fat Lady, who gave a slight nod, and said, "can't see why not."

Luna followed me into the common room, but we didn't have to go far because Ginny seemed to be on her way out. Luna looked around with pure fascination as I told Ginny why we weren't in class. After Luna told us all about Ravenclaw's common room (and how she thought it was better than ours, ha!), we headed down to the sit out by the lake.

I promptly sat on the pebbles at the edge of the lake, tore my shoes off, and let the water lap up onto my toes. I was soon joined by my best friends, and we shared a comfortable silence for what felt like forever. A soft breeze whispered through our hair as our feet and legs were warmed by the sun for the first time all season. When we finally had to head back for lunch, Ginny and I stuck together. We would have normally sat with Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Neville, but seeing as O.W.L.s were going on we had to settle for Colin.

The exams weeks were rough on not only the fifth and seventh years, but also those of us that were friends with the fifth and seventh years. We had to find ways to occupy ourselves with each other, and frankly I was sick of Ginny talking about Harry just like she was sick of me talking about Neville. We decided to take a couple days break from each other just so we wouldn't kill each other, so when Ginny woke me up in the middle of the night I was a little surprised.

"Wassup?" I asked, alarmed, when she frantically shook me awake.

"Something's going on at Hagrid's!" Ginny whispered hurridly. "Come on!" She pulled me to the window, which faced the grounds and Hagrid's hut, and threw it open hastily. We couldn't hear what was happening, but Ginny pointed to the group of people in front of Hagrid's door that were silhouetted by flashes of red light.

"Umbridge is at the front. I think they're trying to take Hagrid away."

"Oh man, they won't want to miss this," I said pointing my thumb at our two sleeping roommates.

"Yeah," Ginny said rolling her eyes, "Guess not."

"Rose, Clarissa, come see what's happening!" I called. They surprisingly rose immediately, as if they could just smell the drama. We all crowded at the window silently to see if we could hear what they were saying. All of a sudden the grounds lit up, no doubt from the door to the Entrance Hall opening. I could just barely make out a person hurrying across the dark lawn, but once they began shouting there was no doubt that it was McGonagall going to intervene.

Suddenly four members of Umbridge's party turned on McGonagall, who was halfway to them, and stunned her straight to the chest. We all held our breathes as she was lifted off the ground by the spells then dropped to the ground. We collectively gasped as she lie motionless on the grass.

"Merlin's pants! Are they insane?" Clarissa finally said jumping back from the window. She began pacing and ranting about how it was completely unfair and how old McGonagall is. Ginny, Rose, and I stayed by the window long enough to watch Hagrid take off into the Forbidden Forest. Ginny and I immediately looked at each other.

"Who's the closest teacher?" I asked hastily.

"Flitwick, probably," Ginny answered before we both tore off across the room.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked with her hands on her hips. Ginny was already descending toward the common room as I kept my hand on the doorknob.

"We're going to get help," I said, "go tell the others what happened!"

"Okay!" Clarissa and Rose said together and hurried out of the dormitory after me.

I raced down the stairs, through the common room, out of the portrait hall, and down the corridor to catch up with Ginny.

"You… go get Flitwick… I'll… go get Poppy!" I said taking deep breaths in between strings of words. She nodded and took off down the corridor that led to the stairs that ended outside Flitwick's office. I ran down a separate corridor to go to the Hospital wing. I took the stairs down two at a time and leapt onto the landing as it started to change direction. When I finally arrived, banging on Madame Pomfrey's door, I was so out of breath I was reduced to waving and gesturing wildly to tell her what happened. Madame Pomfrey's hand automatically flew to my forehead to see if I was feverish. I swatted her hand away and tried to speak again.

"McGonagall!" _pant, pant,_ "Stunned!" _pant, pant,_ "Four of them!" _pant, pant_, "Straight to the chest!" _pant, pant,_ "She'soutsidethecastle!" Understanding dawned on Madame Pomfrey's face.

"Show me where, Cassiopeia!" She threw on her dressing gown as we hurried down to the Entrance Hall and out the front doors. But I stopped dead on the threshold because I could see the mass of people, led by Umbridge, coming towards the door. They walked past McGonagall without so much as a sideways glance. I grabbed Madame Pomfrey by the elbow and yanked her behind a massive bush that sat next to the front doors. We stayed hidden until Umbridge and her stunners were completely inside. I waited a beat to make sure they wouldn't come back out then I released Poppy's elbow, and stepped out from behind the bush.

"Good thinking," she said straightening her dressing gown. I pointed her in McGonagall's direction. We began speed walking down the hill that led to McGonagall's limp form as the front doors opened up once more. We froze where we were, just outside the light that flooded the grounds, and turned slowly to see Professor Flitwick and Ginny in the doorway. We both sighed in relief because Madame Pomfrey and I both thought it was Umbridge. Ginny and Flitwick joined us and we went to McGonagall together. Madame Pomfrey checked McGonagall's vitals with a grim expression as Flitwick conjured a stretcher. I gripped Ginny's hand and squeezed it nervously as Poppy whispered something to Flitwick. He nodded then stood and looked up at us.

"Ladies, thank you for all your help, we can take it from here," he said squeakily.

"Cassie, Ginny, I think it's best if you return to your dormitories before the _headmistress_ catches you," Madame Pomfrey told us. We nodded somberly and just as Ginny was going to turn and walk away I said, "I-is she going to be . . . okay?"

"We can't be sure, being stunned right in the chest by four different stunners at her age . . ." Poppy trailed off.

"We'll have her transferred to St. Mungo's, you don't have to worry," Flitwick said patting my arm gently.

"Okay," I said nodding then Ginny and I retreated to the castle, being careful not to get caught.

The next morning was uneventful. Ginny and I went to all of our classes together and told Luna what happened the night before, which was pretty unnecessary because news travels fast in a small castle. The three of us were on our way to transfiguration when we heard shouting coming from an unused classroom.

"Does that sound like Harry?" I asked.

"Well he _does_ shout a lot," Ginny concurred. We decided to take a look inside to find Ron, Harry, and Hermione looking terribly tense.

_"Hi," said Ginny uncertainly. "We recognized Harry's voice- what are you yelling about?"_

_"Never you mind," said Harry roughly._

_Ginny raised her eyebrows._

_"There's no need to take that tone with me," she said coolly. "I was only wondering whether I could help."_

_"Well, you can't," said Harry shortly._

_"You're being rather rude, you know," said Luna serenely._

_Harry swore and turned away._ I'm sure_ the very last thing he wanted now was a conversation with Luna Lovegood._

_"Wait," said Hermione suddenly. "Wait. . . Harry, they can help." Harry and Ron looked at her._

_"Listen," she said urgently, "Harry we need to establish whether Sirius really has left headquarters-"_

_"I've told you, I saw-"_

_"Harry, I'm begging you, please!" said Hermione desperately. "Please let's just check that Sirius isn't at home before we go charging off to London- if we find out he's not there then I swear I won't try and stop you, I'll come, I'll d-do whatever it takes to try and save him-"_

"Okay, I know about Sirius and Headquarters, but please tell me you're lost too," I whispered to Ginny who promptly shushed me, but nodded in response.

_"Sirius is being tortured NOW!" shouted Harry. "We haven't got time to waste-"_

_"But if this is a trick of V-Voldemort's-" _Ginny, Ron, and I flinched,_ "Harry, we've got to check, we've got to-"_

_"How?" Harry demanded. "How're we going to check?"_

_"We'll have to use Umbridge's fire and see if we can contact him," said Hermione who looked positively terrified at the thought. "We'll draw Umbridge away again, but we'll need lookouts, that's where we can use Ginny, Cassie, and Luna."_

_Though clearly struggling to understand what was going on, _like me_, Ginny said immediately, "Yeah we'll do it."

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_

**Review!**

**Thanks (:  
**

**mayzie**


	18. Author's Note

**Dear Readers,**

**Wow, I feel like a terrible person! I miss Cassie dearly and was on my way to finishing this story when my computer crashed in September. Luckily, I'll be getting a new computer thanks to the after Christmas sales. Now all I need to do is coax my mom into getting my hard drive transferred because I had other stories I really liked saved on there too. Fingers crossed guys, I hate to leave you hanging!**

**Coming up:**

**- The department of mysteries**

**- Cassie meeting her dear old mum**

**- More kissing?**

**I still haven't written the final chapter where Cassie will meet Bellatrix and I really, really need help! Please send suggestions or ideas! Also, the epilogue is written so don't kill Cassie in any of your suggestions haha**

**Love you guys more than anything!**

**_mayzie_**


	19. Caught

**Here it is and I want to give a huge thanks to anyone who has stuck through all this time as well as newcomers, I promise this story will not go unfinished!**

**I'm still waiting to get the hard drive off of my old computer, so I rewrote this chapter tonight after yet another wave of guilt hit me.**

**Harry's quote in italics is directly from OOTP and I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ginny, Luna, and I took the three entrances to Umbridge's corridor and waited as Harry and Hermione disappeared under Harry's cloak. We stopped anyone that came nearby warning them that someone had let off deadly gas, and eventually the corridor was completely devoid of people. I turned back just in time to see Umbridge's door open enough to let a person slide in before closing again silently.

I rocked back and forth from my heels to the balls of my feet watching the corridor ahead of my when I heard a squeal and a loud thud. Just as I turned around a huge Slytherin girl, whose name was Bull-something, threw me against a wall and pinned me there. My eyes widened at the scene outside the office we were supposed to be blocking. Umbridge was leading Ron with her ruddy little fingers all but ripping his hair from his head. Ginny, who I must say was putting up a good fight, was being held by a huge Slytherin, whose name I knew was Warrington, while Luna was being yanked off the ground by Draco.

"Who are you helping?" shrieked Umbridge. "Potter? Potter! I should've guessed with all of you involved!" She handed Ron off to another massive girl and burst into her office. My stomach dropped and Luna and Ginny stopped struggling to watch. What happened next happened very quickly, though it felt like ages. The girl pinning me to the wall got distracted too and I managed to uppercut her right in the nose. She screamed and took her hands off the wall to hold her nose. Immediately the stillness in the hall ended and everyone went back to fighting. I broke away from the girl and ran to Ginny's aid.

"What's going on here?" Neville was standing where Luna had been posted and took off running to help Ginny too. Next thing I knew, though, Crabbe had Neville in a headlock, Warrington held Ron around his middle with his arms pinned to his sides, Draco had Luna over his shoulder, the other Slytherin girl had Ginny with both arms awkwardly behind her back, and the girl I had punched in the nose had me. Her entire hand could wrap around the top of my arm and she made sure to squeeze it extra hard.

"Come on," said Draco looking very ruffled. We were all dragged (or carried in Luna's case) into Umbridge's office and I was given to Goyle who had an even tighter grip on my arm as the girl I punched leapt on Hermione. I let out a low moan and Ginny and I made eye contact. There was no way we would walk away from this in one piece. Umbridge started accusing Harry and I, like Luna, stared off into space. Every once in a while I gave a heartless tug at my arm, but it was useless, I may as well chew it off. Snape was called in to get Veritaserum and that's when I knew it was all over. I kept looking at Draco who was doing a good job at avoiding looking at me. Snape came and turned out to be no help, thank Merlin.

"_He's got Padfoot!"_ Harry shouted desperately before Snape could leave. _"He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"_ With my free hand I slapped my face and shook my head, Umbridge would not let this one go.

The details of what happened next became a little fuzzy because Goyle decided putting me in a headlock was a much more efficient way of keeping me in place. There was screaming, a lot of which was coming from Hermione and Umbridge was getting really excited. I flailed at Goyle's arm in hopes of getting a little more air and began listening. Hermione was talking about a plan, a sort of weapon, the likes of which I had not known and judging by look on everyone's faces Hermione had to be improvising. Then Harry and Hermione were led out of the office to show Umbridge the "weapon" and the rest of us were left alone, four Gryffindors, one Ravenclaw, and seven Slytherins. This would not end well. I cleared my head and took a deep breath before using a burst of adrenaline to move my head just enough to take a big bite into Goyle's arm. He released me, howled and stumbled backwards into Crabbe who was knocked over and let go of Neville. Neville still had his wand on him and stupefied Crabbe and Goyle in one shot. The remaining Slytherins stared, obviously conflicted with whether they should release their captives to fight or not. They decided to release them and what a shame it was because they hadn't been smart enough to disarm Ginny or Ron and I had enough adrenaline left to knock the girl I punched straight to the ground. I jumped on top of her and punched her twice more in the face and looked around to see Draco paralyzed on the floor with bats still flying from his nose, and all the rest knocked out. I punched the girl once more for good measure before Neville pulled me off of her. Ginny stupefied her as well as Neville rubbed my arms and tried to get me to calm down. Luna plucked hers, mine, Hermione's, and Harry's wands from Draco's pocket and we all assed the damage for a moment. With a unified deep breath and loud sigh we wordlessly made our ways to the door.

"Thanks for coming Nev'," Ron said clapping Neville on the back. Neville winced a little but smiled gratefully.

"Oh Ron, you're bleeding!" I said suddenly looking at him. Truth be told we all looked a bit worse for wear with cuts and bruises and torn robes.

" 's nothing," said Ron wiping his lip. "Come on, I think I know where they headed." We followed Ron out of the castle towards the Forbidden Forest where we found Harry and Hermione. Harry didn't want us to come, and I understood, we were just a rag-tag team of kids, but he was just a kid too.

"We're coming," Luna, Ginny, Neville, and I said with finality. And with that we set off on invisible creatures called thestrals towards London.

"Neville!" I called over the wind whipping all around us. Neville was flying just next to me. As if his thestral knew, Neville floated nearer.

"Yeah?" he shouted back.

"This is about the scariest thing I've ever done!" I said looking straight through the thestral onto the forest we were flying over. "But I'm not scared! I mean if we see You-Know-Who again . . . or my uncle . . . or my parents. . ." I trailed off and looked at Neville realizing I was actually quite scared. He reached out to me and I gave him my hand. He squeezed it quickly then brought his hand back to what I imagined was the mane of the thestral and flew off a little way ahead of me.

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**_mayzie_**


	20. The Department of Mysteries

**I cannot believe people are still finding my story and reading it and enjoying it. The random reviews I've been getting these last few months have been seriously nagging me to get this story done, especially when I'm so close to the end. This took a very long time and a lot of motivation mostly because I didn't want to essentially re-write the chapter from the book. It was very hard for me to do this entire part of my story because most of the events that have happened in this story have happened away from the events in OOTP, but now I have to write about scenes in the book without horribly plagiarizing.**

**So I really don't own anything related to Harry Potter other than the copyrighted items I have bought over the years. I am not J. K. Rowling nor do I so much as think I am.**

**But please, do enjoy this chapter, more are soon to come and your reviews really do help.**

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We all made it to the ground one way or another, some obviously more shaken than the others. We were standing in a dingy alleyway with a red muggle communication booth and a dumpster. I had not been to the Ministry of Magic since I was very little when Lucius brought Draco and I to a 'bring your child to work day.' Really I think he only brought us to keep up the appearance that he cared and also to show us just how much power he had at the Ministry, which was a lot. We packed ourselves into the muggle booth, rather uncomfortably I might add, because apparently that was the guest entrance. A cool female's voice greeted us and Harry held no false pretenses by stating all of our names quickly and making it clear we were on a mission. We all received name tags and I looked down at mine just as the lift came to a halt in a dark marble hall. Everyone else's tag had their name underscored with the words "Rescue Mission," mine said, "Cassie Lestrange: Rescue Mission and Meeting Parents." The omniscient power of the Ministry never ceased to amaze me.

Harry was hurrying us through the deserted hall, which seemed so much smaller and less extravagant than my childhood memory had led me to believe. Distracted by my surroundings I ended up trailing the rest of the group as Harry hurried us along. We ended up in another lift and descended down to the floor that was announced as the Department of Mysteries, which I, as well as many others, had only ever heard rumors of. I had no idea how Harry knew his way through the Ministry, but after years of knowing him I knew better than to question him. The only thing in the corridor was a large, unassuming black door, which Harry walked up to quite purposefully. After a bit of arguing we all followed him in to a circular room that was black from floor to ceiling and filled with doors. Just as Neville shut the door we had come through it was impossible to go back to it because the walls had begun to spin around us. I reached out in the dark and after some flailing found Neville's clammy, shaking hand. He gripped my hand tightly, which only comforted me in the slightest way. What had we gotten ourselves into?

We started discussing our options and honestly none of them seemed that great, but I knew I would just have to deal with it. Something about the room, really the entire situation, made me feel like silence was the best option. I was still a little foggy on the whole reason we were there, but if there was one thing I knew about myself and this group of unlikely heroes was that we trusted Harry and that, as foolish as the voice in the back of my head said it was, was all I needed.

Finally we decided to try a door. With wands raised, we followed Harry to the door now directly across from us. With no door knob Harry gave it a firm push and it swung open. The room was dim, though brighter than the round room we stood in. In the center of the room was an eerie tank with milky objects nearly the size of a quaffle floating in and out of focus. The tension in the air was tangible as we all stared up into the tank. I stayed slightly behind Neville with one hand on his shoulder and the other on his arm. Luna was the first one to identify the floating objects, but as soon as she repeated one of her fathers crazy theories, and before anyone else could say anything, I got a good glimpse of what was in the tank; It was a human brain, and there could've been about a hundred. I started retreating and tugging at Neville's shoulder as everyone else began to understand. We all returned to the center room and just before the door shut Hermione drew a big flaming X on the door, which was very clever because just as it shut the walls began to spin again.

We tried another door and this room I would never forget because I knew exactly what it was; Grandmamma had told me how she wished they still used the old execution style of her childhood. The door opened up at the top of a pitted room with rows and rows of stone benches leading down to a platform in the center on top of which stood an arch that look as old a Merlin himself. From the arch hung a gossamer veil that moved on its own in the stagnant air. Harry was drawn to it immediately and everyone but Hermione and I climbed down towards it. Harry ran right up to it and walked around it and started shouting things about hearing voices. Hermione, ever the closed-minded one, told Harry it was nothing, but Luna heard them too. Unconsciously I took two steps closer to the dais. Harry reached out for the veil and just as I was about to tell him to stop Hermione put down her foot.

"We. Are. Leaving." and with that she pulled Ron and Ginny back up the stone benches with Neville, Harry, and I in tow. I hoped I never stepped foot in that room again and just before the door shut I thought I heard a whisper call my name. When I turned my head back to look the door was marked with a blazing X and then it was gone.

The next door was impossible to open and after some force and a magic lock-picking knife, which melted after the attempt, we gave up X-ed the door, watched the walls spin, and tried another. I wasn't sure of how many more mysteries I was willing to unlock, but this next door, Harry said, was it. We once again raised our wands and stepped into a ticking room. As my eyes adjusted to the light I saw hundreds or more clocks hung all over the walls, between book shelves, and really anywhere that appeared to have the space for them. We hurried between two rows of desks that spanned the room and Ginny and I took notice of a bell jar about as tall as us with swirling wind in it. In the center was an egg, which cracked emitting a hummingbird that flew to the top of the jar then died and fell to the bottom to be encased in the egg once more. It was a full life cycle in a jar. I wanted to watch it at least one more time to be sure that's what it was and Ginny didn't make any moves to keep going either, but we were finally close and Harry grew impatient so we left the bird and followed him into the final room.

We entered into a room with ceilings as high as a cathedral filled with shelves nearly as high that held glass orbs. Each orb reflected the blue light of the candles staggered throughout the shelves. I couldn't imagine what all the orbs were for, but if I hadn't been speechless at the sight of them I would have held my tongue anyway. There was no sound of anyone else in the whole chamber and I, as well as the others, didn't want to be the first ones to make a noise. Finally Hermione pointed out that we needed to go to a certain shelf so with wands raised we took off quietly to the right counting the rows until we got to the right one.

Sirius. That was who we came to rescue. Sirius, my cousin, the other black sheep who had stepped out of his family's shadow. It still made no sense as to why he would be here of all places or why a man who had escaped Azkaban would need rescuing of any kind, but it was his name that Harry kept whispering. He stalked the aisle then checked a couple before and after, but Harry could find no one but us, huddled around an even more shocking discovery. One of the orbs had Harry's name on it.

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**A bit short but we're nearly there and the epilogue is practically writing itself.**

**Review!**

**Thanks (:**

**_mayzie_**


	21. Trouble

**IMPORTANT: For anyone just coming back to the story now, I posted the previous chapter about a week ago so read that first.**

**Thank you for all the reviews! This chapter's a bit longer than the last few, I'm trying so hard to finish this story up, but so much happens at the end of OOTP it feels nearly impossible. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!**

**I don't own Harry Potter and Lucius Malfoy's quotes that are italicized come straight from OOTP.**

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Harry approached us as we all stood silently around the orb. What could it possibly mean? After some deliberation he reached out for the orb and lifted it off the shelf. We all held our breaths, no doubt waiting for something astounding or dramatic, but nothing happened. . . immediately. Because after all of us released our breaths a voice from behind us casually said, _"Very good, Potter. Now turn around nice and slowly, and give that to me."_

My blood turned to ice because I knew that voice and suddenly things didn't seem too easy anymore. A bunch of unqualified teenagers shouldn't have been able to just walk into the Ministry's best kept secret. We all turned slowly and I thanked Merlin that I was behind Neville. Suddenly we were surrounded by wizards in those horrible black robes that I had worn the night in the clearing. There were twice as many Death Eaters as us and for the first time that night I started to reconsider that doubtful voice that had been nagging in the back of my head. Sirius wasn't here. For whatever reason, we were tricked and led to this place to die. I silenced a selfish thought and realized I was glad that at least Harry wasn't alone in this.

A cruel voice mocked Harry at every chance she was given, but it was not a voice I recognized. I guess I had been wrong to assume that I knew all the Death Eaters. Then again, the regime grew significantly with the Azkaban breakout.

"_Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt,"_ Lucius said fluidly reaching out once more, however now all of us had our wands pointed straight at his chest. I hoped that no one would recognize me, but to be sure I stayed in Neville's shadow. I was in nearly as much danger as Harry by just being here. Now that I didn't fall under Aunt Cissy's jurisdiction Lucius could do whatever he wanted to me and I doubt he had gotten over the embarrassment of that night in the clearing.

Now the conversation was heating up. The orb was a prophecy, which we had learned about in Divination, and this must've been where they were kept. Suddenly I understood why we had been lured here. The textbook said only the people involved in the prophecy could touch the orb, which was probably why there were so many orbs covered in thick layers of dust. I wondered what the prophecy could mean if You-Know-Who wanted it so bad, but I hardly had time to come up with an idea because the woman who had been mocking Harry stepped forward and removed her hood. Neville who had been shaking swayed slightly in his spot and Ginny, Luna, and Hermione all tensed up, one of them reaching out for my arm and squeezing uncomfortably tight.

My mother stepped into the blue light of the nearest candle, which made her pale, sunken features glow ominously. Words to describe how I suddenly felt were hard to find. Like my stomach had dropped down a black hole and was trying to suck me in after it. I felt horribly woozy and realized this night would certainly be my last until I realized she had never seen me grown up. Sure I resembled Aunt Cissy, but I had cut off all my hair and that would at least make Lucius recognize me a little slower. And none of them had known I was in Gryffindor all this time, they probably never would have guessed I was friends with Harry Potter, their only downfall.

As I listened to the exchange between my mother, Lucius, and Harry I realized Harry could be a right cocky little prick at the worst of times. He was using You-Know-Who's name like it was nothing and he even attempted to convince the Death Eaters that their Dark Lord was only a half-blood. This was neither the time nor the place and my mother reacted rashly, which Lucius deflected toward the shelves. Some of the orbs smashed and ghostly figures appeared out of them and began speaking their prophecies. Maybe that was the trick, obviously Harry's prophecy was important, in fact that was probably the Order's "secret weapon," so smashing it in front of the Death Eaters would be no good. We needed the information in the orb just as much as them, but it needed to be smashed so that it couldn't be used against us. If we bought ourselves enough time, if Harry could get alone with the prophecy, he could smash it, listen to the prophecy and relay it back to the Order, if we made it out of the Ministry, that is.

I wished I had a way to convey this plan, but there was no feasible way. I imagined Harry only kept talking to buy us more time and work out his old plan. When the message from Hermione reached me I realized Harry's plan, though not the same as my own, would certainly work to at least slow down the Death Eaters. Harry continued talking until he shouted, "NOW!" and we all raised our wands to the shelves using the reducto spell to destroy shelf after shelf. We took off running down the way we had came. Being that I had been standing at the back of the group, I was leading the pack down the aisle. Harry, Ginny, and Luna caught up with me and we all veered right to head back to the clock room. I heard Hermione encourage Neville to keep going and suddenly I found myself stopping to watch them run up the aisle. The Death Eaters were close behind, but Hermione was doing a good job of deflecting their curses while she ran. I stupified the two nearest Death Eaters and watched as the rest tried to make their way through the damage we caused as the hall erupted with the voices of seers proclaiming their prophecies. I stayed just outside the door as Hermione and Neville ran in, cast one more reducto spell at the nearest shelf then ran into the ticking room and slammed the door behind me. Hermione locked it with a spell and we all breathed heavily from running. There would be no sighs of relief for some time.

"_Where- where are the others?" gasped Harry_, still out of breath. I looked around the room; Ron, Ginny, and Luna were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh no," I moaned at the thought of them with wands at their throats. We were never getting out of here. We couldn't wait for them, Harry was right, but he was also assuming they'd still make it on their own and I was not so sure. Neville grabbed my hand and the four of us ran to the round room with all the doors, but we didn't make it. Something slammed against the door we had just gone through and just as we all dove under desks the same door blew open.

After a lot of scrambling, Harry stupified one of the Death Eaters, the other Death Eater was not so lucky. I watched as his head, now stuck in the bell jar with the humming bird, went from his ugly head down to a baby's head then back again. He was stuck going through the life cycles like the bird, but only his head was transforming. I briefly wondered if it was painful while I listened to the cabinet behind me crash to the floor, reset itself, then crash again, only to repeat on and on due to one of Neville's poorly aimed spells. Suddenly we heard yelling from a nearby room. Harry started shouting the names of the ones we had lost and without even thinking I ran to the door that led to the circular hall. When I reached the hall I turned to say something to Harry only to realize that him, Neville, and Hermione had not followed me. I lunged for the door to stop it from closing but was too late and slammed my hand on the door jam as the walls spun around me. I recoiled my arm and waited for the walls to stop spinning. I had to find the others. I took a deep breath, raised my wand, and carefully pushed open the door in front of me. My heart dropped when I realized that this door led back to the lift up to the lobby of the Ministry. Then it came to me. We needed help.

Without a second thought I took off at full speed down the hallway, holding my very likely broken hand up to my chest. I started impatiently pounding on the up button. I bounced on the balls of my feet a bit then quickly paced the short width of the hall until the lift clattered to a stop. The grate opened and I sprinted in and pressed the button for the ground floor. The lift started slowly and I just muttered, "Hurry," to myself. That was when the lift went double time and I arrived in the lobby in half the time it had taken to get down to the Department of Mysteries. I released my death grip on the rails in the lift and ran out into the still deserted lobby. I checked my watch, we had to be nearing office hours, we had been out all night. Just as I approached the wand weighing station, five figures approached. I raised my wand again and took cover behind the fountain. I peeked around the side of the house elf to see who was speed-walking down the corridor.

"Dora? Remus?" I stepped out, wand still raised instinctively. Everyone in the party stopped dead and turned their attention to me. Remus and Dora rushed over.

"Cassie what are you doing here?" Dora shouted. Her hair practically burst into flame, I had never seen her so livid. Remus pulled her back by the shoulders, "Where are they Cassie?" I quickly sized up the rest of the party. There was Moody, who had been our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor the previous year, sort of. I assumed this gnarled man was the real Alastor Moody. Then there was a tall black man with an earring that I recognized as the Auror who seemed amused the night of Dumbledore's disappearance. Then standing just to the side of Remus was Sirius Black.

"Oh no," I groaned looking at him. He seemed taken aback and Moody growled, "We have no time for this!" Sirius looked pretty good for a captive and that was when I knew we really had been set up.

"This way," I said quickly turning back in the direction I had just came.

"Cassie why are you here?" Dora asked again as we rushed down the hall back to where the lifts were.

"We came with Harry." I heard the Auror sigh heavily as I pressed the down button for the lift. While we waited I turned and faced the rescue group who all looked somewhat angry and worried. Though Moody was missing so much of his face it was hard to tell how he felt. I noticed his magic eye was trained on the floor moving back and forth rapidly, probably searching for the others.

"Who is 'we'?" Remus asked immediately.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny-"

"Of course," Sirius interjected.

"-Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and me," I finished.

"Well, that's an interesting group," Remus said, clearly exasperated. He shouldn't have been such a good teacher, maybe we wouldn't have gotten it in our heads that we could do these kind of things. The lift came and the six of us got in hastily.

"Well we were looking for _you_," I said pointedly to Sirius.

"I know!" he snapped back.

Remus raised both his hands to stop us. "It was a well-planned trap," he said slowly, "he knew Harry's weakness and we had no way of preventing his reaction."

"I'm not actually mad at _you_," I huffed out to Sirius. What a way to first interact with the cousin I had so much in common with. Sirius didn't say anything at first, he just roughly placed his hand on my shoulder then shook it slightly in a friendly way.

"Cass, Remus and Tonks have told me what you've gone through. I wish we could've met sooner. I'm proud of you," It was an odd sentiment to receive from someone I had just met so I simply nodded before Moody could interrupt our little family moment.

"Do you kids know what you've gotten yourselves into?" Moody asked angrily as his magic eye continued staring below us.

"Yes," I responded dismally, "We were ambushed once Harry grabbed the prophecy and we were attacked and I got separated from everyone else. That's when I went to get help and I ran into you lot." I suddenly got choked up and found it hard to get out what I had to say next. I turned to Dora and Remus and said very quietly, "She's down there, my mum."

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**Still to come:**

**-Sirius (well, you know)**

**-Confrontation with dear old mum (and there I will need to change canon a lot despite the fact that it pains me)**

**-Epilogue**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please review!**

**_mayzie_**


	22. The Arch

**IMPORTANT: Once again to anyone returning to the story after a long time, I recently posted the previous two chapters, please read those first! A lot has been packed into these last few chapters. This one turned out to be very long so I broke it up and will release the next chapter right after this one.**

**I hope you enjoy it! We're seriously almost done!**

**I don't own anything related to Harry Potter la, la, la.**

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I could feel everyone's eyes on me as the lift gate opened and the voice announced, "Department of Mysteries."

"Maybe she should stay here," Dora said hesitantly.

"Nonsense!" Remus and Sirius said together. They exchanged a look that seemed old but familiar to them.

"I don't think we're allowed to encourage this sort of thing. . . Albus wouldn't-" started the Auror, but I cut him off.

"My friends are in there! I already know what we're dealing with. I have to come!"

"She's made it this far," grunted Moody as he trudged on without us. I looked to the ones that were the closest things to my guardians.

"My mum's gonna kill me," said Dora with finality before following Moody down the hall.

Remus and the Auror followed with Sirius and I taking up the rear.

"What happened to your hand?"

"I think I broke it," I said, not realizing I was still cradling it against my chest.

"Let me take a look," he said taking it gingerly in his hands. I winced as he poked around and attempted to move my mangled digits. "Definitely broken." He pulled a wand from his pocket and pointed it at my hand, "Manus Emendo." And with a slight crunch and pop my hand was back in order. I made a fist then flexed my fingers. It felt a bit bruised but otherwise fine.

"Thanks."

"No problem, I got quite good at that spell after years of dealing with Remus's 'furry little problem,'" Sirius said with a wink as he walked through the doorway. I was the last to enter the round room with all the doors.

"Have you forgotten we're on a rescue mission?" Moody said testily as the door closed and the walls began to spin. Moody's eye rolled around in his head several times before landing on a door to our right.

"This way," he said pushing open the door that led to the clock room. I must have missed quite a bit of action after I ran out of the room because it was in much worse shape. The Death Eater that had been stupified still lay in a heap on the floor.

"Noooo," Moody growled, limping over to a door at the back of the room near the one that led to the hall of prophecies.

"I've changed my mind," Remus said raising his wand towards the door and backing away from me, "Stay. Here." Moody threw open the door and the five Order members ran through into another room. I stood in shock for a second and watched the door close. Now what? The man on the floor started to stir and I realized the Death Eater whose head had ended up in the bell jar was nowhere to be seen.

"Stupefy!" I said with my wand pointed straight at the man's back. Before he could so much as lift is head he was limp again on the ground. I took a deep breath and pushed my bangs out of my face, realizing for the first time that I was covered in sweat.

I decided I wasn't waiting any longer, my friends needed me. I crossed the room and pushed open the door, praying it wasn't a Department of Mysteries trick that would lead me somewhere else. But it was no trick I was standing at the top of the room with the arch once again and Death Eaters were everywhere. We were greatly outnumbered, in fact Neville and Harry were the only ones who seemed to have made it. That was when I saw my mother towering over Neville.

"Scream like your parents did! Crucio!" she shrieked in delight as he writhed beneath her. I was suddenly reminded of the time my entire body was on fire in the clearing.

"Neville! STUPEFY!" I screamed aiming my spell right at my mother's head, but I missed by inches and it hit another hooded figure instead, who toppled down several rows. My mother looked up at me without the slightest bit of curiosity. She simply flicked her wand in my direction. I blocked it without a problem and she cocked an eyebrow.

"Wongbottom's girlfwiend is quick," she said in that awful baby voice with a twisted grin stretched across her face.

"CASSIE!" Dora shouted from across the pit and I saw Lucius look up quickly with delight. The fighting commenced all around us but all I saw was Lucius slowly walk up toward me, my mother about halfway between us.

"Cassiopeia, so nice of you to join us," he drawled. My mother looked from Lucius to me.

"No," she said in a chilling way. I felt goosebumps rise all over my skin as she stared up at me with those black, sunken eyes. My mother and Lucius came closer until I was staring straight into those black eyes that I was so glad I hadn't inherited. Lucius stood just off to the side so that I could see him over my mother's shoulder. I looked back into the black holes of her eyes, but they were all over me, surveying me. She tilted her head to one side, a bit further than most people would normally tilt their heads. Her bony, shaking hands flew up to my shoulders and gripped them like two sharp vices. I winced a little, but was otherwise frozen to the spot. I noticed Lucius had gotten enough out of our exchange and had left to try to get the prophecy from Harry who was fighting alongside Neville. Harry was worth protecting more than I was, but Merlin it would've been nice to receive a little help.

"Who are you, child?" my mother suddenly shouted shaking me violently. She once again started looking all around me as if searching for a clue, she still gripped my shoulders.

"Mother?" was all I could choke out. I wished I could've come up with something better. "YOU'RE THE BLOOD TRAITOR!" With my confession I was thrown down onto the rows behind me, the edge of one bench catching me right in the middle of my spine. I shut my eyes and cried out in pain. When I opened my eyes again a wand was pointed at my face, hardly an inch from the space between my eyes. My mother had a crazed, animalistic look in her eyes.

"I will have no more of you in my family!" she shrieked, her pitch rising with each syllable. Some Death Eaters turned toward us for a moment to see what was happening, but quickly returned to fighting.

"But I'm you're daughter!" I'm not sure why I chose to shout that back at my mother, it hardly helped my case. Bellatrix Lestrange was far from being crowned Mother of the Year and I didn't exactly care for the fact that of all the deranged Death Eaters _she_ was my mother, but I couldn't push down the anger, the feeling of abandonment. Would she have been a good mother once You-Know-Who disappeared? Never having been driven mad in Azkaban. Doubtful.

"Impossible!" she shouted back, a horrid grin curling onto her skeletal face, "My daughter is dead." She raised her wand and I knew what was coming before she even began the spell. I stared up into her lifeless eyes, searching for humanity, but it was all gone. Then she was gone. I pushed myself off the bench and stood to watch her tumble down the last several rows of benches with Sirius who had dove at her. A spell probably would have sufficed, but this was far more brave of him. Much like a punch to the jaw instead of a curse, a physical attack was much more personal. The second he stood at the bottom of the pit, facing my mother, he started shouting to Harry to get us all out of there. They began dueling and Sirius forced my mother up onto the dais that held the arch. It didn't take long for Harry, who was carrying a jinxed Neville and no prophecy, to reach me and we all turned to run back to the room with the brains. But Neville stopped us, pointing up to the doorway we were headed to where a tall man stood, wand raised.

Dumbledore ran down into the pit, passing us and leaving the doorway open. I went to continue up the rows like Sirius and Remus had both instructed us mid-duel. Dumbledore was here, it was almost over, there was no need for us to hang around and get in the way of the professionals, but Harry wasn't moving, which meant Neville also wasn't going anywhere. So we watched Dumbledore enter the fray and the second the Death Eaters noticed his presence they were off, the cowards. I couldn't blame them, though, I'd hate to be on the side opposing Dumbledore.

My mother didn't seem to notice or care, I suppose after years of cowering in the shadows of dementors, Dumbledore isn't the most frightening thing you can face. He was nothing compared to your own demons. She continued to fight Sirius and just as he egged her on she hit him full in the chest and the look on his face I'll never forget as he slowly fell backwards into the veil.

"No!" I squeaked as my hand flew to my mouth. Harry barreled down to the dais, but it was too late, Sirius Black was gone. I lifted Neville after Harry left him and allowed myself to hide my face in his chest, tears slowly rolling down my cheeks. Together, and with great difficulty because the Talantallegra curse had not yet worn off, Neville and I stepped down the benches to Harry. Remus took the spell off of Neville and I cursed under my breath when I realized the cure for his problem was simply "Finite." My mother was now fighting the Auror whose name I still did not know behind the arch and for a split second I hoped she'd fall in after Sirius.

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**The next chapter is the last one before the epilogue and both are already completed! Woohoo! So this whole thing will be completed within the next few hours. Thank you so much to everyone for getting this far!**

**Please review!**

**_mayzie_**


	23. The End

**IMPORTANT: I posted the previous chapter a little under an hour ago, make sure you read that first. If you are just coming back to the story now after a long time, start at Chapter 20! I have only just posted the last few chapters after a very long hiatus. I thank everyone for their patience and reviews, you guys kept this story going.**

**I don't own anything related to Harry Potter and I am, quite obviously, not Jo Rowling.**

**Enjoy!**

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The one person in this world that could truly understand me and he was taken from me by my own mother. While Remus and Neville discussed the location of the others I realized I hardly knew Sirius, but he was Harry's godfather. I wiped my face and reached out to Harry, to comfort him in some way, but he shot up suddenly screaming about my mother and he took off after her with revenge burning in his eyes.

"Harry!" I called out to him, as well as the others, but he was gone, up the stairs to the brain room. "The others are in that room!" I shouted to Remus and everyone but the Auror, Dora, and the rounded up Death Eaters ran up the stairs after Harry and my mother, Dumbledore making impressive strides for a man of his age.

When we reached the brain room we saw that the others were in as bad a state as we had left them.

"Remus, take them to the castle, all of them. Contact their parents- and guardians," Dumbledore said calmly, his shockingly blue eyes resting on Neville and me. "I'll take care of Harry, I have a feeling that Voldemort may make an appearance tonight to see why his plan has gone so horribly awry. Alastor, see them off and wait for the arrival of the Minister; office hours are in less than an hour. Please act with haste," and with that Dumbledore disappeared to go find Harry and probably stop him from doing something stupid.

"Cassie, Neville, help me, please," Remus said sounding terribly worn. I remembered that Sirius Black had been his friend, I wondered how he felt. Neville immediately went to Luna and Ginny who seemed worse for wear, but unaffected by difficult spells. That left the unconscious Hermione and giggling Ron to Moody and Remus. I walked over to help Neville and glanced at Remus. We made eye contact for an instant, which I knew meant we would talk later, when things were sorted. Neville lifted Luna carefully in his arms like a baby and she groaned and turned her head in towards Neville's chest. I wished she had opened her if only for a moment, so she could see me, so I could tell her everything would be okay. I wrapped my arm around Ginny's waist and threw her arm over my shoulder so I could hoist her up. She tried once again to put weight on her ankle and called out in pain.

"Stop that," I said quietly, but not unkindly. "Put all your weight on me and your good foot, that's it." Remus had conjured a floating stretcher, which Hermione now lay on still unconscious. Moody seemed to have cured Ron of his giggles and he was now treading slowly beside Hermione, grasping one of her hands tightly.

"I'm off to tell the Minister 'I told you so,' I guess," Moody grunted walking back into the round room. All of us followed and waited for the walls to stop spinning. Moody pushed open the door directly across from us and we were once again in the hallway that led to the lift, back to sanity. We squeezed in, Neville accidentally bumping Luna's legs into the doorway of the lift. He apologized profusely, but Luna was in no state to respond. When Neville gave up, no one else spoke. Not even the automated voice of the lift told us when we arrived to the ground floor.

"With me," Remus said simply and we followed him like lost, beaten puppies to the fireplaces. "Hospital Wing, Hogwarts," he said after throwing in the floo powder, but instead of the green flames I was used to, the back of the fireplace disappeared and I could see the familiar, sterile room of the hospital wing. This instant entrance seemed significantly safer than the normal floo method. We walked into the hospital wing one after the other. Everyone was checked in, even Neville and I who only sustained minor injuries. Poppy released us first.

"Erm, I should probably write to my Gran, let her know what's happened before she reads about it in the _Prophet_," Neville said awkwardly when we both returned to the corridor outside the hospital wing. I nodded with an understanding smile. I would have to do the same with Aunt Andy.

"Don't worry, I'll keep her company," said Remus, who was sunken ion the stone bench behind me.

"Go," I said softly and Neville smiled and walked out the doors towards the owlry.

"His grandmother is a piece of work, but his parents were great people," Remus spoke again. I sunk down onto the bench next to him and tried not to think about it. "It's a shame- oh Cassie, I'm sorry- I didn't mean to-" I raised my hand to cut him off and shook my head. I looked up at Remus and studied his face, he looked so tired, so sad. I placed my hand on top of his hand.

"How are _you_?" I asked carefully. He turned to look at me. He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. His eyes, were now filling up with tears.

"Back when we were in school, we thought we were invincible. We saw our whole lives ahead of us. James marrying Lily and starting a family, Sirius never finding the right girl, forever being the 'crazy uncle,' Pete- Well, you get it. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. With James gone and Sirius in jail and Peter- once again, you know the story. I finally got Sirius back, one of my best friends, and mind you the conditions weren't great, but having someone to talk to and laugh with, someone who knew me better than anyone else left in my life, was wonderful. I just wish I had more time." Tears started to slide down Remus's scarred face and I realized my face was quite wet too. With the hand that wasn't on Remus's hand I wiped my face dry, but more tears kept coming.

"And you!" he continued. "Oh Merlin you remind me so much of him! A little volatile, maybe, but quick witted and kind, despite your upbringing. He would've loved you, I wish you had had more time too." Now we were both really crying, right there in the middle of the corridor without any shame. I pulled Remus into a hug not caring if we were close enough to do that yet.

"I didn't have anyone when I lost James and Lily, I'm so glad you're here now," Remus said quietly while we embraced. I was going to say something in return but we were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

I pulled away from Remus and wiped my face, I thought it would be a Madame Pomfrey with an update on my friends, but in front of us stood a tall, old witch with a bright red handbag and a stuffed vulture perched atop her hat.

"Remus," she said very formally. He stood and shook her hand as her gaze swept to me. She didn't seem like the type of person to mess with so I stood and offered my hand, "Hi, I'm Cassie." She shook my hand lightly and looked down at me through her spectacles.

"I've heard of you," she said plainly. Had she? I didn't even know who she was. Was she another member of the Order of Phoenix? "I'm here for my grandson, I've heard he's really gotten into it this time. How bad is it? Did one of his spells backfire?" I looked at Remus questioningly, but he kept his eyes on the woman.

"Neville went to the owlry to contact you, he's fine, in fact, you should be very proud of your son. He fought valiantly along with Cassie, here, and Harry Potter. He helped stop a Death Eater attack in the Ministry before we even knew anything was wrong," Remus answered smoothly. Neville's grandmother went from looking shocked to very pleased.

"Well then," she said readjusting her mink shawl, "I better go and find him then."

After Neville's grandmother left, Madame Pomfrey came to tell us that everyone was fine to be released except for Hermione because she had never encountered the kind of curse that was put on her before, but she assured us she was making progress. The Weasley's came soon after, followed by my Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted, as well as Dora. Moody and the Auror could not come because as far as anyone else knew there was no connection between us and them. Dumbledore also couldn't come because he needed to smooth things over with the Ministry and make sure he was no longer a fugitive as well as take care of Harry. No relatives would be coming to make sure he was okay, the thought made me sad because for a time in my life I actually knew how that felt.

The rest of the year went smoothly, especially since our story made it to the front page of the _Prophet_. Umbridge was gone and Dumbledore and McGonagall were both back. Exams seemed so trifling after what had happened at the Ministry, but Remus reminded me in several letters that they absolutely _had_ to be done.

_Just because you got caught up in one of Harry's end-of-the-year adventures does not mean you can magically become an Auror and never go to school again. _Remus wrote at the end of one of his letters. I suppose it was prompted by a conversation Aunt Andy overheard me have with Uncle Ted. We were only joking, but she was still concerned and knew I would listen to Remus, so I accepted the advice without complaint. I had learned this year how rare it is to have people who truly care about you and how important it is to cherish what you have. I told Remus this as he and Dora escorted me out of King's Cross after scaring the pants off of Harry's horrid muggle family.

"You know, you guys can be very intimidating when you want to be," I said laughing.

"Well now that you know what we're capable of, you know not to mess with us," Dora said with a grin. I thought about all that had happened within the past year, and despite the fact that the future wasn't exactly bright, for a moment I thought maybe- just maybe- we would all be alright.

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**There it is! The end of _Where Your Loyalties Lie_, phew I didn't think I'd ever make it! After this I have an epilopgue and I would absolutely love to hear your opinions now that it's all done, especially anyone who has had the patience to stick with me from the beginning. It was the readers and reviewers that helped me finish this story and I am so grateful for everyone.**

**Thank you again and please, please review!**

**All my love,**

**_ mayzie_**


	24. Epilogue

**IMPORTANT: If you have been away from the story for a while, please start at Chapter 20, that is when my hiatus ended. Also, Chapters 22 and 23 were all posted tonight, so make sure you read those chapters before this one!**

**I don't own any rights to Harry Potter, but I wish I did.**

**Enjoy!**

**Also, look for my new story, _Playing the Field_, set in the Marauder era!**

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_*TWO YEARS LATER*_

"Remus can't honestly expect me to just stay here! I'm far better trained for things like this! How can he just leave me like this?" Dora spoke lividly as she paced back and forth across the Tonks's small kitchen. With each time she passed me I tried to reach out and grab Teddy who was getting fussier with each lap. Dora didn't even notice when he began to cry, so I laid my hand on her arm and gestured for her to give me the baby. I swept little Teddy up in my arms and his hair turned platinum blonde as it often did while I held him. I took the opportunity, with a sideways glance from Aunt Andy, to take Teddy into the living room where Pereguin was folding an old, worn down throw blanket. I sat on the couch with the baby and bounced him on my knee as Dora and her mother's voices got louder and louder with each exchange. They were talking about the war at Hogwarts that Remus had just left to fight in. Dora felt that she was needed there with her husband, but Aunt Andy and I, though I never voiced my opinion, felt that Godric forbid something happened to Remus that she was needed here much more. I tried to calm Teddy down and I nearly did when the arguing suddenly ended but was instantly followed by Aunt Andy's loud swearing. Teddy started crying again and I didn't know what to do, but I knew I needed to act quickly. Baby still in hand, I ran to the kitchen to find Aunt Andy alone sobbing by the fireplace.

"Where's Dora?" I shouted over both her and the baby crying.

"Sh-sh-she left! She w-went to go fight with Remus! She's so daft! She already knows what it feels like to lose a father, but if Teddy loses b-b-both of them-" she went back to crying and I placed my free arm around her shoulders.

"If I go now I can probably find her and get her back," I said as I placed Teddy in his bassinet and I walked toward the fireplace. But just as I reached up for the floo powder I felt a hand on my other wrist.

"No, not you too," my Aunt look a hundred years old as she stared at me with anguish in her eyes. But I couldn't just let Dora and Remus leave their child, despite some common mishaps, they were the best parents I had ever seen and I still needed them too.

"I'll go to the Hog's Head and if I don't find Dora or I smell trouble I will head right back, I promise." Aunt Andy loosened her grip on my wrist just enough for me to slip out and enter the fireplace.

"Hog's Head!" I shouted urgently and I was spun out of control into a dingy room that looked nothing like the Hog's Head. I stepped out over the hearth into the room and looked around confused, but just in time I was able to see the end of someone's robes disappear down a long dark corridor.

"Can I help you?" asked an old man with white hair that I recognized as the inn keeper of the Hog's Head. It was only then that I noticed the smell of goats that always hung around the place, I had arrived in the right fireplace.

"I need to get to Hogwarts."

"Are you of age?" he asked, his piercing blue eyes sizing me up.

"Yes," I said, _just barely_, I thought. "I'm looking for a woman with bright pink hair."

"Oh Tonks, eh? You just missed her. Take that passageway, it leads right into the castle. Good luck," he finished firmly.

"Thank you," I responded solemnly because the second I stepped through the entrance of the passageway I would be breaking the promise to Aunt Andy I never intended to keep.

I came out of the passageway into a room that seemed familiar, but so different. It was filled with cots and hammocks and banners representing all the houses but Slytherin. I must have come out into the Room of Requirement. It seemed quiet enough in the room, but there was no way of knowing what waited for me on the other side of the heavy wooden door that no doubt led to the castle. I pulled out my wand and quickly crossed the room. I placed my hand on the large handle, pulled the latch, took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Cassie!" I saw a flash of red hair and was pulled into a rib crushing hug.

"Oh Godric, Ginny!" I hugged my best friend like I would never see her again, which was a distinct possibility. I couldn't help the tears that silently rolled down my cheeks. I had missed her so much and it was a horrible shame that this was the first time I had seen her face to face in months. With the control at Hogwarts being turned over to the Death Eaters at the end of my fifth year Uncle Ted and Aunt Andy refused to let me return to school. They taught me what they could with help from Dora and Remus when they weren't working or taking care of Teddy. One letter from Ginny around Easter told me that many parents had done the same with their children as well as pull them out halfway through the year. The things Snape let happen in the school were horrible from what I heard Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted discuss before Uncle Ted had to go into hiding. More tears started slipping down my cheeks when I thought about Uncle Ted. We only learned the news a few days before Teddy had been born and it still hurt like hell to think that the only father figure in my life was gone. I pulled away from Ginny to wipe my face and I saw that she was doing the same. That was when I got a good look at the castle around me. I hadn't been in the castle in nearly a year and I wished I had never returned. This was not my home anymore, this was a battlefield.

"I'm looking for Dora," I said snapping out of my reverie. Ginny looked around quickly, but there was no sign of Dora, or anyone else for that matter.

"She left a few minutes ago," Ginny said, clearly thinking while still glancing around the corridor. "She went that way," she said pointing in the direction that eventually led to the library. Without another word I drew my wand and sprinted down the hall. Just before I had to make a turn I looked back to see Ginny pacing in front of where the Room of Requirement Door had been.

"Aren't you coming?" I shouted, which was necessary because of the distance and the booming noises and explosions coming from outside the castle. With a resounding crack that made my ears ring the corridor shook violently. Bits of stone and dust were shaken loose from the ceiling and walls. Ginny half-heartedly shouted back, "My mum said I have to stay here."

"Is that really going to stop you?" I shouted with the grin of a Devil's advocate.

"No."

"Good." I let Ginny catch up and pull out her wand before I continued down the corridor. We had made some progress, though descending the stairs was a problem because they seemed to have been blown apart halfway through moving to a new landing, perhaps to protect an ally. We had to take a running jump with the last step pushing us up off the wide hand rail to make it to the nearest landing on the sixth floor, but we made it with our hearts pumping wildly. We made it all the way to the third floor without encountering anyone but a knocked out Death Eater. I started to think that all the action had left the castle entirely when Ginny zipped past me screaming, "GET DOWN! LOOK OUT!" She slid on the ground and rolled behind a statue of a humpback witch just as an explosive spell was aimed right where she had been just moments before. I turned and slipped into an alcove that held a bust.

"You there! Girl!" It said bruskly. I turned round and was nearly nose-to-nose with the bust who had craned his neck around to face me. "This is my hiding spot!" he continued, rather pompously.

"Seriously?" I said in astonishment, I had never heard so much as a peep from Hogwarts's statues, I had no idea they were bewitched. I peaked my head out slowly, our attackers seemed to be holding off.

"GIRL!" the bust shouted again.

"Is this really the time?" I said impatiently, turning back towards the bust.

"Well! I never-"

"I think it's clear," Ginny whispered from behind the statue. I stuck my wand out of the alcove first and then my whole body. The corridor appeared to be deserted, but-

"Reducto!" The spell shot straight above my head, hitting the thick bricks and sending them crashing down around me I tried to dive but was struck in the back of the head by the debris. Just before everything went black momentarily I heard Ginny stupefy someone with a resounding thud. I got up at some point and told Ginny I was fine, but I couldn't remember much after that.

When everyone settled down and the crowd pulled away from Harry enough for me to move, I slipped out the massive front doors of the Great Hall and worked my way through rubble to get to the lawn outside the castle. I didn't know where I was going, but I went to great lengths to avoid any of the remaining fallen who were being helped by healers or brought back to the Great Hall as martyrs. The only place that seemed absolutely clear from the battle was down by the lake. I laid down just before the grass turned to pebbles and sand and sprawled out to look up at the foliage and the sun that was finally poking through the clouds left from the battle. I could hardly recall what had just happened. The only clear memory I had of the night's events was Harry defeating Voldemort. Everything else were just blurs of damaged memories that kept floating to the front of my mind. Some felt like they were just fabrications like watching George cry over Fred just after he died, though I knew neither George nor I were present for that. I saw Dora get struck from behind with a green blast not far from where I was currently laying. I pounded my fists against my head trying to remember if I had actually been there. I knew I was with her when she was laid down at Remus's side. I knew I didn't cry because I couldn't; I didn't know if what I was seeing was real. Flashes of red and green and purple, people falling on both sides, pieces of our fortress crumbling down around us, but what had I actually done? Did I fight? Did I flee? That was doubtful because all my memories, though jumbled and deceiving held one strong feeling, no escape.

I heard the soft crunch of heavy feet on grass and twigs approaching but I didn't bother to see who it was. All the Death Eaters had been long gone by the time I left the castle. I took one last look at the leaves glowing from the sunlight above then closed my eyes. My ears registered that the feet had significantly picked up their pace, but I still felt no cause for alarm until the feet stopped at my side. The person fell to their knees next to me and whispered, "Oh Cass, please, no." Just as two fingers looked for the pulse on my throat I snapped my eyes open to see Neville, looking worse for wear.

"Neville, I'm fine!" I said sitting up.

"Oh thank Merlin!" Neville pulled me into a tight hug and didn't let go for some time. I wrapped my arms around his back as his body began to shake with sobs and I stroked carefully up and down his back for fear of encountering a horrible gash or a tender spot. Neville finally pulled away from me and his absence was felt immediately. His face was terribly dirty and now streaked with tears. I ran a hand up through his unruly hair that was so much longer than the last time I had seen him and brought my hand down to the cheek that didn't bear a large cut. He mirrored me with his hand on my cheek. I stared up into his eyes and realized just how much I had missed him with everything that was going on this year. The air suddenly felt so thick between us as he leaned in and kissed me gently on the lips and finally I cried. I cried harder than I have probably ever cried in my entire life, which is really saying something. Neville held me until I calmed down a little then stood up and brought me with him.

"Your aunt is probably looking for you," he said a little awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck. I nodded and took hold of his hand then led the two of us back toward the castle. It was then that I saw the full extent of the damage and it was a sight I hope I never see again. When we walked back into the Great Hall I knew exactly where to find Aunt Andy. She had her back to me but I could tell she was bouncing Teddy in her arms probably trying to comfort him. She was with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who were standing behind their children who had sat huddled together at one of the tables. I panicked when I saw that not only Fred was missing from the group, but quickly found Ron with Hermione farther down the table. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley saw me at the same time and pointed at me so that Aunt Andy turned around. Neville mumbled something about giving me some time and him going to show his Gran the sword of Gryffindor. Mrs. Weasley took Teddy from Aunt Andy's arms and we looked at each other from across the hall for what felt like ages. Finally, I mustered all my energy and ran straight into her arms nearly knocking the wind out of both of us. We both choked on the awkward laugh of relief that comes before the tears. I wrapped my arms tightly around her and started sobbing into her collar bone. One of her hands stroked my head as the other held me to her like a life-line. We both shook with sobs as she continued stroking my head and I grasped my wrists to lock the hug. I never wanted to let go, I never wanted to lose anyone else.

"I'm so glad I have you," she whispered into my hair and I only cried harder. We were all we had. We were all Teddy had. When the thought occurred to me I pulled away from my aunt and relieved Mrs. Weasley of Teddy. I gave Mr. and Mrs. Weasley a one armed hug for my condolences as well as being glad they were okay. I moved Teddy so that he was looking over my shoulder and swayed gently while whispering in his ear. A teary-eyed Ginny, whose arm was wrapped around George, looked up and smiled weakly. I returned the same sort of smile. We would have plenty of time to talk later. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley joined their children silently and I turned back to Aunt Andy. That was when I saw them, sitting away from everyone else looking horribly out of place, the Malfoys. I nudged my aunt and nodded in their direction. We silently agreed and with Teddy now asleep in my arms we joined the broken remains of our family.

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**The End**

**Please review!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**All my love,**

**_mayzie_**


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